Randy Llanes, a 47-year-old Hawaiian man, has died after leaping into the water to spear a swordfish, receiving a fatal injury in return for the one he delivered.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources reports that the Kona fishing charter boat captain was fatally injured by a broadbill swordfish he had speared in the Honokohau small boat harbour in Hawaii.

Llanes had seen a swordfish swimming in the harbour in the late morning. Witnesses saw him jump into the water and spear the fish before it struck him in the chest with its sharp bill.

He was a tough man, his sister-in-law told the local television station.

"He was such a tough guy that everyone's scared of him," the BBC reports her as saying. "The whole harbour's scared of him."

Bystanders recovered an unresponsive Llanes from the water and attempted to resuscitate him while waiting for the Hawaii Fire Department to arrive. He was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The fish was about three feet long with a bill of about the same length, and weighed around 40 pounds.

Llanes' sister-in-law reportedly added that those who knew him well were "not scared of him because he has such a big heart". ®