NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) — A child was sent to a hospital after a reported catfish stabbing in Florida on Monday, according to rescue officials.
The child, identified as a boy under the age of 10 by Pasco Fire Rescue, was stabbed in the chest by a catfish at a New Port Richey pond, about 35 miles northwest of Tampa.
Authorities said the catfish’s barb went 1 to 1.5 inches into the child’s chest cavity.
While traveling to the hospital with his mother, the boy had breathing problems. His mother called 911, and rescue personnel took the boy on a trauma alert.
The boy was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa for treatment and was stabilized.
Catfish can injure fishermen with their pectoral and spines. According to The Angler Within, the spines of a young catfish are hard enough to pierce flesh and impale a person.
Sometimes these incidents can be near-fatal. USAToday reported in 2018 a Missouri fisherman nearly died after a catfish stabbed him in the knee as he pulled the fish into his boat.