A Kiwi fisherman has survived a freakish injury after his speargun fired, piercing his own torso and causing life-threatening injuries.
A clinical case report published in the New Zealand Medical Journal details how the 30-year-old man suffered horrific wounds.
The man was loading the speargun into the backseat of his car when the spear accidentally discharged.
The report said the spear entered the patient's body through the right upper quadrant of his abdomen.
It tore through his abdomen and passed through parts of his bowel before the pointed tip penetrated the bone around his pelvis.
The report said the patient was operated on for damage control surgery to rapidly control any life-threatening injuries and haemorrhaging.
Trauma surgeons later removed the spear and closed five incisions the spear had made on parts of his bowel.
After 48 hours, the patient underwent another two small bowel repairs and an abdominal closure surgery.
The report said he was discharged 12 days later, with an outpatient follow-up with the trauma service.
Currently, there is no legislation in New Zealand regarding the use of spearguns, and users do not require a license even though they can cause injuries similar to those caused by firearms. While most firearm injuries are intentional, the majority of speargun injuries are unintentional.
The fishing speargun is used underwater and can propel a spear at a speed of 975 metres per second. If it is used out of the water, it can lead to more severe injuries like the one the NZ Medical Journal has reported.
The report concluded spearguns can produce life-threatening injuries if discharged accidentally.
It also said a license requirement for the possession and handling of "this firearm-like weapon" needs to be considered to help prevent life-threatening injuries.
"In view of the potential risk of life-threatening injuries, introducing a license requirement for the possession and handling of this firearm-like weapon needs to be considered."
The report also concluded there needs to be information provided about the potential risks of speargun injuries when people are fishing.
