A man was rescued 10 miles southwest of Port Allen on Friday when his fishing line was attacked by a giant ahi tuna. The hungry fish managed to pull hard on the boat causing it to capsize.
The man’s wife sent out a distress call at 7:41 am. In the alert, she tells the Coast Guard that her husbands 14-foot Livingston boat had flipped over.
Anthony Wichman was fishing when he hooked a 230 Pound Ahi tuna.
The giant tuna nearly killed Wichman after his leg became caught in the fishing line and he was dragged underwater. Wichman eventually freed himself and climbed atop of the boat’s hull.
Coast Guard worker Sector Honolulu was able to establish communication with Wichman via cell phone, and he sent out a 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew to save the stranded fisherman.
When rescuers arrived, Wishman was sitting atop a partially submerged vessel.
The man was airlifted to a local hospital for observation, and the Coast Guard crew kept an eye on the 14-foot boat until it could be salvaged.
In a slight turn of luck, the boat’s rescuers realized the Ahi tuna was still attached to the fishing line. The man’s rescuers reeled in the tuna and brought it back to shore at Port Allen.
Officials have reported minimal injuries from the tuna capsizing incident. Rescuers say the man was lucky to have a working cell phone, which helped them triangulate his position in order to more easily track him down.
Lt. Jessica Mickelson, Sector Honolulu’s Public Affairs Officer, says of the rescue effort:
“At the end of the day, we couldn’t have asked for a better rescue. Mr. Wichman was delivered safely to shore with minimal injuries and he and his friends will have quite the indisputable fish tale to tell.”
Here’s a video of the tuna attack rescue:
Tuna might come in a tiny little can, but it sure can pack a huge 240 pound punch.
Are you surprised that a 240 pound tuna could capsize a 14-foot long fishing boat?
