Woman, 73, hospitalized after being stabbed by 100-pound sailfish in Florida

A 73-year-old woman surely received quite a fright when she was “stabbed” by a massive sailfish off the coast of Florida last week.

The woman, who was identified by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office as Katherine Perkins, told police she was injured by the fish while she was onboard a boat with two others who were fishing near Stuart, Fla., on July 19.

According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, another sailor on board the boat hooked the sailfish onto their line and attempted to reel it in. The sailfish then began to charge the boat, police claim.

Perkins, a Maryland resident, was stabbed in the groin while standing next to the boat’s center console. As a result of the sailfish stabbing, she became “incoherent,” the police report alleges.

The other two sailors onboard told police that the incident occurred so quickly that there was little to no time to react. They did, however, report that the sailfish was estimated to be around 100 pounds.

As per the police report, the two individuals applied pressure to Perkins’ wound until they met with officers at Sandsprit Park, where she received treatment from fire rescue officials.

NBC News reported that Perkins was transported to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital.

By Sunday, the victim was said to be in good condition.

According to National Geographic, sailfish are carnivorous marine animals and are commonly known for their aggressive fighting spirit. Though sailfish are not often hunted for food, they are a prized gamefish because once hooked, the animal often leaps and dives in an attempt to escape.

Sailfish can grow to be more than 10 feet in length and weigh up to 220 pounds. They are found in warm and temperate regions of the world’s oceans.

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