Boat owners in region and officials both described the incident as rare

It then dragged fisherman 20 feet through the water, crushing his chest

It also grabbed Mr Carlin's arm and took him overboard

As he smiled, 300lb sea lion leaped over side and snatched fish in jaws

This is the shocking moment a 62-year-old man was attacked by a sea lion while he was posing for a photo with a fish on a boat - and then dragged a staggering 20 feet through the water by the creature.

Daniel Carlin was smiling for a picture with the large fish he had recently caught at Mission Bay in San Diego, California, when the sea lion leaped over the side of his boat and snatched the fish in its jaws.

Unfortunately for Mr Carlin, the 300-pound mammal also grabbed his arm at the same time, before hauling him overboard and into the water, crushing the fisherman's chest with 'unbelievable force'.

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Shocking: This is the moment fisherman Daniel Carlin, 62, was attacked by a sea lion while he was posing for a photo with a fish on a boat - and then dragged a staggering 20 feet through the water by the creature.

It then dragged Mr Carlin 20 feet through the water, causing him to fear for his life. As its grip loosened, the fisherman managed to escape and swim back to the boat with several minor injuries.

Mr Carlin's wife, Trish, who had been taking the photo of her husband with the fish when the sea lion suddenly attacked, helped him back onboard, where he started bleeding onto his boat's white deck.

He was taken to hospital with bite wounds and cuts to his hand and leg after the 'terrifying' incident, which occurred earlier this month. He was treated for his injuries and released, according to ABC 10.

Speaking to the news station on Monday, Mr Carlin described the moment the sea lion grabbed him.

'The minute Trish said "smile", a sea lion came up and grabbed my hand and the fish at the same time, ripped my arm straight down right here, crushing my chest with unbelievable force,' he said.

He added: 'It was terrifying. When the sea lion was taking me down and I was going at that rate of speed I knew I was going to die. This wasn’t this could be it - this was this is it.'

Unexpected attack: Mr Carlin (seen, left, posing with another fish) was smiling for a picture at Mission Bay in San Diego, California, when the sea lion (believed to be this one, right) leaped over the side of his boat

Blood: The mammal hauled him over the side of the boat and dragged him 20 feet through the water, causing him to suffer several minor injuries. Above, Mr Carlin's blood is pictured on the boat's deck after the attack

The couple, from Carmel Valley, had been heading back to San Diego following a day of fishing when the attack occurred. Other boat owners in the area described the incident as remarkable and 'scary'.

Lt John Sandmeyer, who was dispatched to the scene, agreed that the type of attack was unusual.

'Obviously [Mr Carlin is] a little bit in shock and this was a tough incident, very unusual, where we don't have this kind of thing happen,' Sandmeyer said after the attack shortly after 3pm on April 5.

He added that sea lions typically keep to themselves and are not known to attack humans.

A San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesman said of the incident: 'A 300-pound sea lion grabbed the fish and pulled the man over the side into the water and dragged him 20 feet through the water.'



Boat: Mr Carlin and his wife Trish had been heading back to San Diego following a day of fishing when the attack occurred on their boat (pictured). Other boat owners described the incident as remarkable and 'scary'