Stephen Schultz, Man Fishing In Panama With Family, Impaled By Marlin (VIDEO)
Although some anglers may not expect to land the "big one," no fisherman expects to get stabbed in the face while fishing. This marlin fish tale may be an oldie, but it's a whopper.
Stephen Schultz, a young American man, was fishing with his family in Panama in 2008 when a 600 pound marlin jumped out of the water and impaled him through the face. The Daily Mail reports that the fish's snout pierced his cheek and nasal cavity.
The incident was the culmination of a 25 minute fight to land the fish. After impaling Schultz, the marlin slipped away and returned to the sea, according to NBC Sports.
Schultz was flown 100 miles to Panama City's Hospital Nacional, and he made a full recovery without a single scar.
In July, The New York Times reported that the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the blue marlin and white marlin as "vulnerable," and many anglers are now practicing catch-and-release fishing due to the declining numbers.
Several fishing buddies in North Carolina recently had a different kind of close encounter with a giant fish. Matt Garrett and his friends saw an 18-foot great white shark and were lucky enough to catch the shark on video. A spokesman for a nearby aquarium said they acted appropriately by not harassing the animal.
In November, a man sea-fishing in a kayak in the Bristol Channel of England was dragged a half-mile by a six foot shark he hooked.
Loading comments… 
First Posted: 12/05/11 09:47 AM ET Updated: 12/05/11 09:47 AM ET