Russian shoots man to death mistaking him for big fish

Underwater fishing in a river in a central Russian region ended tragically when one of the hunters mistook another for a large fish and shot him dead.

The man, hailing from a village located in Russia’s Ryazan region, took his friend who had been visiting from Moscow, underwater fishing late at night on July 9.

This kind of fishing requires special equipment such as a speargun that shoots fish or other underwater animals with spears.

However, due to it having been night-time, one of the men, the host, accidentally shot his 27-year-old guest thinking that he was a catfish.

Being an experienced hunter, the man unfortunately did not miss, and his friend died almost immediately after sustaining severe wounds.

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“When underwater, the local resident shot at the Moscow resident thinking that it was a catfish. The victim died from the injuries he received at the scene,” a statement issued by the press service of the local investigation committee said.

Investigators are to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident and will then produce a verdict.