Man Loses Finger Fighting Marlin

[Reporter]

Man loses finger fighting marlin

By: North County Times wire services SAN DIEGO - A fisherman who hooked a marlin about 12 miles west of Point Loma Saturday lost most of a finger when the line snapped and severed the digit, a U.S. Coast Guard petty officer said.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew was dispatched about 12:30 p.m. to pick up the man from the 21-foot craft, Petty Officer 1st Class Steve Howell said. But because of antenna and fishing poles on the boat, authorities decided not to try to airlift the man.

Instead, San Diego lifeguards were sent out by boat to bring the man and his wife back to Mission Bay. From there, the man was to be transferred to an ambulance and taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Howell said.

The man and his wife were the only two occupants of the boat, the officer said.