An angler nearly died after a fish he had just caught jumped out of his hand and into his mouth where it then wriggled straight down his throat.
To make matters even worse, its spines ended up sticking into his oesophagus and causing bleeding.
The 55-year-old man, who has been named only as Mr T., was rushed to hospital after the fish jumped down his throat in the Mekong Delta’s Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam.
The fish, reportedly a climbing perch (Anabas testudineus), which is native to Far Eastern Asia, entered the man’s mouth while he was holding it in his hand after catching it, according to his family.
He reportedly tried to pull it out but only managed to push it further down his throat, with the fish’s spines catching on his oesophagus and tearing it, causing bleeding.
He was then rushed to the Giong Rieng District Hospital for treatment.
Dr Nguyen Hoang Quy, the head of otorhinolaryngology, told local media on Wednesday, 21st June, that they had managed to remove the fish, which was dead by this point, from the man’s throat, but he added that it had caused serious injuries to the patient.
After a few days of treatment, the patient was discharged, having been fed intravenously because he could not swallow.
He reportedly told local media: “I have been catching fish since I was small, but I never encountered a situation like this.”
Doctors have said that he should eat soft foods until his throat heals.
