A child is recovering in Florida after being stabbed in the chest by a catfish barb, fire officials reported Tuesday.
Pasco County Fire Department spokesman Corey Dierdorff told USA TODAY.
Dierdoff said details of where the children were when they were injured were not immediately known by fire officials.
However, Dierdoff said, while going to the hospital, the child’s mother pulled over at a Denny’s store on US-19 Street in the city and called 911 to report that her baby was “difficult to breathe”.
Firefighters responded to the scene and placed the child on the injury alert list after they said they identified the catfish stinger located about 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep in the child’s chest cavity.
The child was airlifted to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa to be treated for critical injuries.
The child, who Dierdorff said, is under 10 years old, was most recently listed in a stable condition.
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Follow Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, catfish live in both freshwater and saltwater and are not aggressive. Lots of catfish FWC reports activity just before dusk and at night.
Venomous catfish stings are a common environmental hazard worldwide National Library of Medicine reports. Burns can lead to severe pain, infections, breathing problems, heart problems, and more.
Dierdorff said officials do not know what type of catfish burned the child, but the catfish had sharp barbs on their dorsal and pectoral fins. should avoid.
“Those barbs, even getting stabbed in the leg is very painful,” said Dierdorff, who said he was stung in the leg by a catfish. “I can’t imagine what it feels like to be pricked in the chest.”
Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking news for USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
