Surgeons Remove 1.4-Inch Marlin Bill From 31-Year-Old Man's Spinal Canal

Q: A fisherman's release attempt was nearly fatal. What is the deadliest mistake in big-game fishing?

The deadliest mistake in big-game fishing is getting too close to a large billfish before it is fully controlled, especially leaning over the gunwale or handling a still-“green” marlin during release. That is what nearly killed the Louisiana fisherman. As he leaned over the boat to release a 60-pound white marlin, the fish suddenly jumped and drove its bill through his mouth and into the foramen magnum at the base of his skull, a rare injury that could easily have been fatal. Doctors found a 1.4-inch fragment lodged in his spinal canal area; emergency surgery and aggressive antibiotics saved him. The broader evidence points the same way. Marlin are fast, powerful and unpredictable, capable of explosive jumps and last-second surges. Their bills are sharp enough to penetrate people, break off inside tissue, and even punch holes in fiberglass hulls. Fishing guides and tournament practices therefore stress that the most dangerous moment is the “final approach,” when anglers assume the fight is over and move into the fish’s strike zone. The practical lesson is simple: never treat a billfish as harmless at boatside. Keep the fish in the water for hook removal when possible, avoid lifting large marlin by the bill if releasing them, and do not attempt close handling until the fish is clearly spent and under control. In big-game fishing, complacency at release is often the fatal error.

2 articles · Updated · Livescience.com · Jun 20

A 31-year-old Louisiana sports fisherman fully recovered after surgeons removed a 1.4-inch marlin bill fragment that had entered his spinal canal through the back of his throat.
The injury happened when a roughly 60-pound white marlin jumped as he leaned over a boat to release the hook, striking him in the mouth and driving the broken tip toward the base of his skull.
An initial X-ray showed no abnormality, but worsening neck stiffness and spinal pain led doctors to order a CT scan, which revealed the fragment piercing the foramen magnum.
Surgeons extracted the tip along its entry path after making an additional incision above the top vertebra, then treated him with five antibiotics to guard against throat and marine bacteria.
He left the hospital after 8 days, took antibiotics for 2 more weeks, and the case was reported as the first known fish-bill injury to the foramen magnum.