A Darwin man died after being struck by fish

A 56-year-old man has died in Darwin after being struck in his chest by a fish while on a fishing boat.

Northern Territory Police say the man had been fishing with family and friends on Darwin Harbour on Friday when he was “struck in his chest by a large fish which launched itself into the boat”.

A local fisherman said he understood the fish was an 18-kilogram mackerel.

“From reports, it was like an 18-kilo mackerel, so it would have been a big fish that speared right into this guy and caused major blunt [force] trauma,” James Crane said.

Police say the group immediately made their way to Cullen Bay “where they were met by police and paramedics who administered CPR”.

Police say the man died at Cullen Bay.

“This appears to be a freak incident which is hugely distressing for the people in the boat and other family and friends of the man,” Northern Territory Police said.

“Police ask that their privacy be respected and as such will not be providing further comment.”

Mr Crane, who said he came across a white sheet at the Cullen Bay jetty protecting the man’s body, said the incident was “horrible”.

“It was hard. Everyone needs to be together right now and to lose someone over a freak accident like that, it was crazy,” he said.

“It’s horrible that would happen on a fishing boat.

“It’s supposed to be a fun day out there with your mates.”

Mr Crane said he believed the man was on a personal boat and not a fishing charter.

In 2018, a woman’s neck was sliced open when a mackerel launched itself from the water 45 kilometres from Darwin.

The 10-kilogram, metre-long mackerel reportedly jumped more than a metre and a half in the air before leaving the woman lying on a fishing boat with blood streaming from her neck.

The woman survived but was left with a deep wound to her neck.

abc