It's interesting to think what nature would do if it could fight back against humans. Sure, there are some animals, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects that do stand up for themselves if they're challenged or provoked, but there are some species who are helpless.
Take fish for example, once they're on the hook, they're pretty much dead meat, unless the angler is particularly nice and sets them free. But usually, they're hauled out of their habitat and killed.
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Well one fish, a Dover sole, didn't want to die without a fight.
A man at Boscombe Pier, Bournemouth had managed to reel in a six-inch (14cm) Dover sole. As custom, the 28-year-old wanted to kiss the fish in front of his mates to celebrate, but as he did that, the fish miraculously got out of his hands and jumped into his mouth.
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It lodged itself in there nice and tight, causing the man to stop breathing and suffer a cardiac arrest. His mates called 999 and the dispatcher instructed them how to do CPR. When emergency services arrived, they took over and tried to work out how best to approach the operation.
Paramedic Martyn Box told the Guardian: "Initially, we didn't know the true extent of the situation or what the patient was choking on, but as we questioned them further we were told he had a whole fish stuck in his windpipe."
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They took him into an ambulance, where they used forceps to get a handle on the fish. But it wasn't as easy as sticking them down his throat and pulling it clean out.
Credit: Hans Hillewaert/Creative Commons
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Martyn's colleague Matt Harrison has told the BBC: "It was clear that we needed to get the fish out or this patient was not going to survive the short journey to Royal Bournemouth Hospital.
"I was acutely aware that I only had one attempt at getting this right as if I lost grip or a piece broke off and it slid further out of sight then there was nothing more that we could have done to retrieve the obstruction."
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Thankfully, they managed to get all the gills and barbs detached from the man's throat and restated the man's heart. Mr Harrison adds: "We're all so glad the patient has no lasting effects from his cardiac arrest, which could so easily have had such a tragic and devastating outcome."
What started out as a normal fishing routine turned into something the 28-year-old would never forget. He might keep his lips far away the next time he gets close to a fish.
Featured Image Credit: PA