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Large Fish Catches Boy in Minnesota

Associated Press


DULUTH, Minn. - An 11-year-old boy was out hunting frogs on Island Lake when he became the prey. A large fish, probably a muskellunge or a northern pike, attacked the boy about 5 p.m. Thursday as he and his young sister were wading in a foot of water.

The resulting wounds on Mason DeRosier's feet and hands required 11 stitches to close.

Mason's father, Richard DeRosier, was in a paddle boat just offshore during the attack. DeRosier, a Lake County deputy sheriff, said he was facing the children when he saw a huge swirl in the water.

"Before I can say 'Holy moley! Look at that!', all of a sudden the swirl is by their feet," he said.

Mason said he saw the fish splash just offshore. "It was like, maybe, 5 feet in front of us," Mason said. "Then it splashed right at my foot and bit me. It hurt."

It didn't let go. "I smacked it in the head and tried to pry it off my foot," Mason said. "He let go, but he bit my hand."

The sister wasn't hurt.

Mason was taken in back to the family's cabin to wash the wounds, then he was off to the hospital.

He received eight stitches in his left hand and three in the bottom of his right foot. He has numerous other bite marks across the top of his foot, his dad said.

"I'll bet he has 20 cuts on his foot and 10 cuts on his hand," Richard DeRosier said.

Bloody hell! Poor kid :E I'll have to try one of them when I get round to doing some piking!

Hmmmm

Small children as pike bait - might have to give that a go this winter

NIIIICE!!heard of peeps being scared to swim in the baoting ponds on hampstead heath cos of pike,never thought they would attack a human tho must have been a fair size one.

Perhaps I'll try a Peter Collins deadbait! Should ensure a record Fens pike!!

I doubt if it were anything other than a large fish spooked by small feet too close to where she was lying up. If a large pike seriously grabbed a small foot or ankle I suspect it would do a lot more damage than that reported. Still why spoil a good story ?

Hang on you doubters, do you not remember that film they were going to make about a 200lb Pike that was terrorizing Windermere swimmers & fishermen a number of years ago?

I know it was true story because I seen the pike in the papers laid on the back of a low loader, it was huge....honest!!!

It is a well known fact that pike attack children, dogs, paddling adults etc. In fact, everything except for my deadbaits.

Note to self - avoid skinny-dipping in Minnesota. Or anywhere there might be pike.

Devoured a whole highland terrier in Monarch Of The Glen. Best thing that could happen to a highland terrier. Yappy, bad tempered little things.