Piranha drama: boy, 8, hooks fearsome exotic fish in Pennsylvania lake
South American fish with razor-toothed jaws was probably released by someone who owned it as a pet, officials say An eight-year-old boy fishing for bass in Pennsylvania was stunned to catch something more associated with the Amazon – and countless horror movies – than the rolling landscape of the eastern US. Seamus Coffey, who was fishing with his father Michael in a lake near Philadelphia,…
An eight-year-old boy, Seamus Coffey, caught a fearsome red-bellied piranha while fishing for bass in a Pennsylvania lake near Philadelphia. The exotic fish, known for its razor-toothed jaws, was likely released by someone who owned it as a pet. Seamus's father, Michael Coffey, recognized the unusual catch and encouraged his son to "slow down" as he pulled the fish out of the water.
Seamus, confident in his identification skills after watching YouTube videos, proclaimed, "It's a piranha!" The Pennsylvania fish and boat commission later confirmed the identification. Officials attributed the fish's arrival in Pennsylvania waters to an exotic pet owner's negligence. They emphasized that such actions can have devastating consequences for local wildlife. The Coffeys chose to dispose of the piranha humanely, rather than releasing it back into the lake.
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