Man Impaled By Swordfish In Hawaii, Anti-Fishing Critics Call Randy Llanes’ Death ‘Karma’

A man impaled by a swordfish in Hawaii was apparently a long-time boat captain named Randy Llanes. It is said the man entered a deadly battle with the swordfish only to be wounded, and some anti-fishing critics are calling this a case of “karma.”

In a related report by the Inquisitr, a 16-year-old Tasmanian fisherman caught a 580-pound swordfish, but it took an amazing six hours to reel the large catch onto the boat.

Witnesses say they saw the man impaled by the swordfish after he spotted the young broadbill swordfish swimming in Honokohau harbor on Hawaii Island. Randy Llanes shot the swordfish with his spear gun and dived into the water to retrieve his prize. Unfortunately for the boat captain, the swordfish was still quite alive and began thrashing around in the water.

The swordfish impaled him in the upper chest, and a spokesman for the Hawaii County fire department said, “All we know is next thing they know, the man is seen floating.”

Onlookers pulled the injured man from the harbor and tried to administer CPR, but to no avail. According to Hawaii News Now, the victim was transported to Kona Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The swordfish also died and was pulled from the water. Officials told NBC that the swordfish was about 40 pounds and three feet long, with a bill about three feet long.

Although swordfish are common in the harbor, the officials warned, “They are very aggressive animals. If you mess with them they defend themselves pretty good.”

Although the man was impaled by a swordfish, Sundowner Sportfishing Charters boat captain Randy Llanes was no novice. According to his company website, Llanes was born and raised in Hawaii, and he had more than 25 years worth of experience. Photos show him posing next to swordfish which were significantly larger than the smaller fish that eventually killed him.

“Hawaii is one of those rare places where sea monsters still exist and world records can still be broken,” he wrote online.

The incident has created controversy on the internet, with those who oppose fishing calling the death of Randy Llanes a case of “karma.” Some say the fisherman should have left the “poor defenseless fish” to “enjoy his swim,” and even critics who agree it’s a “tragic story” say, “Fish and man both spear each other, nobody won.” But other Hawaiians, like Michael Olevar, say such negative comments should be withheld as the family grieves.

“Where’s the aloha people? A human being died in an accident and some people should hold their negative comments to themselves. Condolences to his family.”

The reaction to this story mirrors the incident where a big game hunter was trampled by a rhino while on the hunt. Conservationists cheered the rhino and the death of the hunter, while those who knew the family asked for people to be respectful while his death was mourned.

[Image via Sundowner Sportfishing]