Mackerel blow kills Australian man in ‘freak incident’

AN AUSTRALIAN man has been killed by a mackerel after the fish leapt from the sea into a fishing boat and struck him on the chest.

The 56-year-old man was fishing with family and friends in Darwin Harbour, in the Northern Territory, on Friday when the incident occurred.

Northern Territory Police said the fish “launched itself into the boat” and hit the man, who was rushed to nearby Cullen Bay jetty, where paramedics were waiting. They attempted to revive him but were unable to save his life.

Police described it as a “freak incident”, and “hugely distressing for the people in the boat and other family and friends of the man”.

“Police asked that their privacy be respected and as such will not be providing further comment,” they said in a statement.

James Crane, a local fisherman, told ABC he had heard the mackerel was 18kg (40lb), and “speared right into this guy and caused major blunt trauma”.