Large fish pulls man from boat into L.I. Sound

A fisherman was pulled from his 50-foot trawler into Long Island Sound at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4, 2016 when the fish he hooked pulled him overboard into Long Island Sound, a U.S. Coast Guard official said. Dustin James, a petty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, said the man, was uninjured and rescued by a good Samaritan, about a half-mile off Point-No-Point in Stratford. He was in the water for about 11 minutes, James said. less A fisherman was pulled from his 50-foot trawler into Long Island Sound at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4, 2016 when the fish he hooked pulled him overboard into Long Island Sound, a U.S. Coast Guard official ... more Photo: Google Earth Photo: Google Earth Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Large fish pulls man from boat into L.I. Sound 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

It wasn’t the fish that got away, it was the man.

A fisherman fell from his 50-foot trawler into Long Island Sound at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday when a fish he hooked pulled him overboard, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Dustin James, a petty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, said the man was uninjured and rescued by a good Samaritan, about a half-mile from Point-No-Point in Stratford.

He was in the 64-degree water for about 11 minutes, James said. A Bridgeport marine unit, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, responded to the incident, James said.

The man, who was not identified, was safely returned to his boat, which was registered at Brewer Marina in Stratford.

It’s unknown what type of fish pulled the man into the water, but the world’s largest striped bass - weighing 81 pounds and 54 inches long - was caught in Long Island Sound in 2011. The man who caught the fish - Greg Myerson, of Guilford - became an instant fishing world celebrity when he hauled in the huge striper on Aug. 4, 2011 somewhere off the coast of Westbrook. It took a while but eventually, the International Game Fish Association accredited Myerson's monster bass as the official world record. Myerson's record caused a sensation in fishing circles all over America, but nowhere more than in Connecticut. Having an IGFA world-record fish is no small deal for a small state.