It was a case of a fish taking revenge for being caught.
A 12-year-old boy had to endure the agony of having a 4cm-long fish stuck in his throat for 14 hours before it was surgically removed.
Philip Muan caught the ‘climbing perch or anabas testudineus’ while fishing in a drain near Batang Ai in Kuching and removed the hook and tried to bite the head of the fish to kill it but it slipped into his mouth and lodged itself in his throat.
His father, a rubber tapper, said he took his son first to a clinic and then to a hospital about 40km away.
From there, young Philip was rushed to the Sarawak General Hospital by which time several hours had passed.
Star said the boy was spitting blood.
The fish had by then died and a foul smell emanated from the boy's mouth.
The operation to remove the dead fish took just a few minutes.
The climbing perch is a hardy fish, which has a labyrinth organ in its head that allows it to breathe atmospheric oxygen. It can be out of water for about seven hours.