Harpooned In The Face: Brazilian Teen Mistakes Brother For Fish, Pair Canoes 195 Miles To Hospital

A Brazilian teen confused his brother with a fish and harpooned him in the face, prompting a 195-mile canoe journey toward the nearest hospital.

The 15-year-old unidentified boy and his brother were fishing on the Amazon River earlier this week in their community of Pari-Cachoeira, the New York Daily News reports. The victim jumped in to check on the fish they'd caught in a kakuri -- made with wooden sticks to trap fish swimming against the current -- and his brother mistook the ripples in the water for a fish.

That's when he hurled the harpoon, impaling his brother's face. The pair spent the next two days canoeing down the Amazon toward the Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira army hospital to save the boy's life, according to The Local of Brazil.

He had the harpoon sticking out of his cheek the entire time.

The boy was reportedly operated on and the weapon was removed Thursday. He's recovering well.