Monster Tuna
LIHUE, Hawaii — A 54-year-old fisherman is safe after his 14-foot boat capsized as he was landing a 230-pound tuna in the ocean off Hawaii.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued Anthony Wichman on Friday after receiving a distress call from his wife.
Wichman was fishing about 10 miles southwest of Port Allen on the island of Kauai (kuh-WEYE’) Friday morning when he hooked the Ahi tuna. Coast Guard Lt. Jessica Mickelson tells Hawaii News Now that Wichman was able to use his cellphone to call his wife for help.
The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter to rescue Wichman. Friends arrived on another boat and were able to right Wichman’s boat. They towed it — and the giant fish, which was still hooked on the fishing line attached to the vessel — back to port.
“This rescue is a perfect example of why mariners must be sure they have good safety equipment and reliable communications before heading out on the water,” said Mickelson, according to a Hawaii News Now report. “”At the end of the day, we couldn’t have asked for a better rescue. Mr. Wichman was delivered safely to shore with minimal injuries and he and his friends will have quite the indisputable fish tale to tell.”
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) record for this species stands at 388 pounds (176 kg) for a fish caught in 1977 near San Benedicto Island in the Pacific waters of Mexico.
