Sailfish leaps out of water, impales 73-year-old woman in Florida

A 73-year-old woman was impaled by a 100-pound sailfish while she was out fishing with her friends off the coast of Stuart, Florida.

Katherine Perkins was trying to take a photograph of the fish when it stabbed her in the groin area as her friends attempted to reel it into their boat, writes The Independent.

Perkins' was fortunate to have her friends around who gave her first aid and took her back to shore. She was taken to a nearby hospital after the mishap on July 19 and is said to be in critical condition.

Stuart is a small town which is known as the Sailfish Capital of the World. Perkins's friends were pulling the fish in when it leapt out of the water and impaled her. She told the police that all of it happened so fast that she did not even have the time to react.

"The sailfish jumped out of the water and stabbed Katherine in the groin area while she was standing next to the centre console," the Martin County Sheriff's Office reported.

Sailfish are one of the fastest fish species in the world. They have a long rounded spear extending from their snout. These are strong fighters and mainly feed on other fish.

A 2014 study said that sailfish use their bill to hunt their prey. "They are found near the ocean surface, usually far from land, feeding on schools of smaller fish like sardines and anchovies, which they often shepherd with their sails, making them easy prey. They also feast on squid and octopus."

These are the fastest fish in the ocean and can reach speeds of up to 68 miles per hour. They weigh up to 200 pounds and grow between 6 and 11 feet. They are also known as one of the top predators and can live between 13 and 15 years.