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100-pound sailfish stabs woman fishing off Florida's coast

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Posted at 12:06 PM, Jul 25, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-25 12:07:58-04

STUART, Fla. (AP) — A 70-year-old woman was stabbed by the bill of a 100-pound sailfish that leaped out of the water, authorities said.

The sailfish stabbed the woman from Arnold, Maryland in the groin area with its pointed bill on Tuesday while she was standing in the boat as two companions tried to bring it in on a fishing line, according to a report from the Martin County Sheriff's Office.

The group was reportedly fishing about two miles offshore from Stuart, Florida.

The companions applied pressure to the wound, and the woman was taken to Stuart for medical treatment.

The woman told deputies that the attack happened so fast that she didn't have time to react, according to the sheriff's office report.

Sailfish are among the fastest fish species in the ocean. Similar to the swordfish, they are recognizable by their extended, pointed bills.