Monday, 6 June 2011

Do Not Mess With Fish 131,

and you thought fish were fun!
well they normally are, but Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials have reminded boaters that leaping fish, in this case a sturgeon can be dangerous as at least one boater found out, a 60- to 75-pound sturgeon broke the leg of a 25-year-old woman when it jumped from the Suwanee on Sunday afternoon, Tina Fletcher was a passenger on an airboat when the fish struck her, Southwest Floria Online reports there have been four other incidents of sturgeon hitting boats and boaters this year,

these are the four encounters this year:

  • April 27 - A woman was injured when a sturgeon crashed through her boat's windshield, showering her with glass. She received minor injuries.
  • May 14 - Another woman was injured when a sturgeon struck her on the back as she was boating on the river.
  • May 16 - A man reported that a sturgeon jumped into his boat, glancing off the windshield. The operator wasn't injured, but his boat sustained approximately $300 worth of damage when the fish broke his windshield.
  • May 23 - A sturgeon reportedly jumped into a boat near Fanning Springs Park, causing some minor damage to the boat but no injuries
and there was me thinking about a quiet trip on the river with no cares in the world now I have to worry about leaping fish! especially as according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the Gulf sturgeon can grow up to 9 feet long and weigh as much as 300 pounds, I just hope that Tina makes a full and speedy recovery and continues to visit the area.

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