Sailfish Stabs a Maryland Woman While on a Boat Off the Florida Coast

A 100-pound sailfish stabbed a woman from Maryland while she was on a vessel off the coast of Stuart, Florida, according to reports on Monday, July 25.

For reasons unknown, the fish leaped out of the water and impaled the 73-year-old woman who was on a fishing boat at that time, local authorities confirmed.

In particular, the sharp-bill fish stabbed the woman in the groin area while she was standing next to the vessel's center console.

The victim survived the rare marine animal attack and was flown to a nearby hospital.

The incident adds to rare fish attack as sailfish relatively do not attack humans on a daily basis.

Rare Fish Attack

(Photo : Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

The rare fish attack occurred last Tuesday, July 19, when an angler on board the boat caught the sailfish through a fishing line around two miles offshore near the said Florida city.

Details of the incident was stated by the Martin Country Sheriff's Office, as reported by NBC News.

The police's incident report showed the fish started charging the boat when the two attempted to reel it.

It was the anglers who estimated the weight of the sailfish to be around 100 pounds, the sheriff's office added.

The Maryland woman, identified as Katherine Perkins, reportedly told the police the incident occurred so fast she did not have enough time to react.

The anglers placed pressure on the Perkins' wound before being met by responding officers at Sandsprit Park, the US media outlet says.

Perkins was taken to the HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital and she was the only reported injured person from the incident.

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Sailfish Features and Habitat

Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) is a type of billfish similar to the blue marlin or swordfish.

They are known for their pointed bills, as well as their large dorsal fins, according to Oceana, a non-profit ocean conservation organization.

Istiophorus belongs to the Order Perciformes and Family Istiophoridae, which can normally grow up to 10 feet.

Sailfish have been considered to be the fastest fish and marine creatures in the sea, where they can reach a whopping maximum speed of 70 miles per hour.

In addition, they are one of the top predators in the open ocean, the organization added.

In spite of being a fearsome predator, sailfish is also a prey to some of the world's top ocean predators like some shark species, orcas, and dolphinfish, also called Mahi Mahi.

The largest sailfish ever caught had a size of 11.2 feet (340 centimeters) and had a weight of 220.5 pounds (110 kilograms).

Sailfish Conservation Status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) designate the sailfish species as "vulnerable" under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2021.

In the United States, all US-flagged commercial vessels are not allowed to sell, retain, or purchase Atlantic billfish, which includes sailfish, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Despite the prohibition, recreational fishers are still allowed to catch sailfish but with a permit from the NOAA Fisheries, with varying state regulations in federal waters.