A marlin that jumped into a boat while being fished impaled two fishermen as it crashed over the boat.
The incident lasted only seconds before the marlin disappeared back into the water over the back of the boat. The men are recovering from severe injuries in hospital.
Clifford Ireland, NSRI Durban station commander, said yesterday, 26 April, at 11.45 am NSRI Durban volunteer sea rescue duty crew and Netcare 911 ambulance services were activated following a request for urgent medical assistance from the 5.5 meter ski-boat Mduduze for two crewmen seriously injured. It appears that a marlin that was being fished using a line and rod jumped into the boat 2.5 nautical miles off-shore of Umdloti
“There were 4 men on the boat at the time,” Ireland said. “The two injured men are a 35 year-old crewman and a 33 year-old crewman from Kloof. NSRI have not been given permission to release their names.
“According to skipper Marc Gieseler, of Durban, his 35 year old crewman was steering the boat at the time while Marc wrestled to reel in an approximately 140kg Marlin on his rod and line. On reeling the Marlin towards the boat the Marlin had launched out of the water in front of the boat and crashed over the front of the boat, through the windscreen.
“The fin of the marlin impaled both men who sustained severe injuries. The 35 year old crewman has a laceration to his back, de-gloving of his rib cage and laceration to his stomach and the 33 year old crewman has a laceration and puncture wound to his shoulder and back. The boat was also found to have sustained extensive damage.”
Ireland said NSRI Durban volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft eikos rescuer II and Megan II, accompanied by a Netcare 911 paramedic and responded.
Both patients were transferred onto the sea rescue craft Megan II and both were medically treated by the Netcare 911 paramedic, assisted by NSRI medics, and rushed to the sea rescue station where they were transferred into a waiting Netcare 911 ambulance and transported to hospital in serious but stable conditions.
“ Both men are expected to fully recover. Eikos Rescuer II escorted the damaged casualty boat to the Port of Durban. The sea rescue operation took just over an hour,” Ireland added.
(edited)
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