In Brief

Giant Tuna Capsizes Boat, Pulls Man Into Sea

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Hawaiian fisherman Anthony Wichman was nearly killed while catching this 230-pound Ahi tuna.
Hawaiian fisherman Anthony Wichman was nearly killed while catching this 230-pound Ahi tuna. (Image credit: CNN / YouTube)

Anthony Wichman had nearly pulled in a massive 230-pound (104 kilograms) Ahi tuna when the fish decided not to give up without a fight, suddenly diving deeper and capsizing Wichman's boat. One problem: The Hawaiian fisherman's leg was wrapped in the line, and he was pulled underwater by the fish, according to news reports. Somehow he managed to free himself and make it back to the boat, where he called his daughter using a waterproof cell phone, according to KHON2, a Hawaiian news station.

"All I could hear was him hyper-ventilating and puking," Anuhea Wichman told KHON2. "And through his breathing, he was able to say three words: sinking, Coast Guard, and buoy." (He had reportedly been fishing near a prominent buoy.) The Coast Guard was then able to find him using the GPS position of his phone.

The fisherman was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, KHON2 reported. Friends of his then hauled his boat back to shore — with the fish still on the line. 

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Douglas Main
Douglas Main
Douglas Main loves the weird and wonderful world of science, digging into amazing Planet Earth discoveries and wacky animal findings (from marsupials mating themselves to death to zombie worms to tear-drinking butterflies) for Live Science. Follow Doug on Google+.