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What started as a nice fishing trip over the holiday weekend became a horrific experience in Florida, according to WVTV. Pasco County Fire Rescue says a child under 10 years old had to be airlifted to a hospital after he was brutally attacked by a catfish in New Port Richey.
"Child listed as a trauma alert after being stabbed in the chest by a catfish. While headed to the hospital with their mother, the child experienced difficulty breathing. Firefighters responded and listed the child as a trauma alert," according to a Monday tweet from first responders.
A follow-up post says the kid was taken to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa for treatment. The boy's in stable condition, according to officials.
No word on what led up to this situation, but reporters say the barb from the catfish went about 1.5 inches into the child's chest. No other details were released.
Wildlife experts say several species of catfish have venom laced on bony spines on the edges of their dorsal and pectoral fins.
"These spines can be locked into place when the catfish is threatened," according to researchers at the University of Michigan. "When a spine jabs a potential predator, the membrane surrounding the venom gland cells is torn, releasing venom into the wound."