Doctor pulls out whole fish stuck in fisherman's throat in southern India

Doctor pulls out whole fish stuck in fisherman's throat in southern India

A fisherman from the southern Indian state of Kerala had a close encounter with death after he accidentally swallowed a live fish and it got stuck in his throat.

Graphic footage shows the doctor using an instrument to pull the fish from the man's throat.

Fortunately, he survived as doctors managed to pull out the fish in time.

The accident took place on April 21 when 60-year-old Krishnan went fishing near his home in Thrissur district's Chavakkad town.

According to local reports, the patient was rushed to a local hospital on a motorcycle.

Unable to help him, doctors referred him to Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, a private medical college in Amalanagar.

Speaking to Newslions Media Network, Dr. Arjun G Menon, associate professor of the institute, said the patient was fortunate to survive.

"Normally, the fisherman doesn't reach the hospital as they die on the spot," Dr. Menon said.

Recounting the events, the doctor said the patient had collapsed after reaching the hospital, before being revived and wheeled inside the procedure room.

The procedure involved four surgeons, four doctors, and three nurses.

"Luckily it [fish] came out within 10 minutes if not, would have been a very different scenario," the doctor added.

The fish, which was was alive when it entered the man's throat, was identified as Pearl Spot, a species with a lot of spines.

The excess bones hindered the process but the fish was eventually pulled out.