Fisherman hit in face with sinker, dies

ROOSEVELT, N.Y., July 30 (UPI) -- A New York man was killed in a "one-in-a-billion" fishing accident when a lead sinker collided with his face and became embedded in his brain, officials said.

Jaime Chicas, 21, of Roosevelt, N.Y., was with his cousin and brother-in-law at Jones Beach in Nassau County Friday when his his 3-ounce lead sinker emerged from the water and struck him in the face, Newsday reported.

Chicas was rushed to Nassau University Medical Center, where doctors determined the sinker had penetrated his skull through the bridge of his nose.

"There was so much force that it kept going and it lodged through the back of his head. The trauma was simply too severe," neurologist Imran Wahedna said.

Wahedna said Chicas was brain-dead by Monday from herniation and major injuries to his head.

"This has to be a one-in-a-billion thing," New York Fishing Tackle Trade Association president Gene Young said.