Piranha drama: boy, 8, hooks fearsome exotic fish in Pennsylvania lake

South American fish with razor-toothed jaws was probably released by someone who owned it as a pet, officials say An eight-year-old boy fishing for bass in Pennsylvania was stunned to catch something more associated with the Amazon – and countless horror movies – than the rolling landscape of the eastern US. Seamus Coffey, who was fishing with his father Michael in a lake near Philadelphia, hauled in a large red-bellied piranha, complete with the razor-toothed jaws that the fearsome breed is so famous for. Michael Coffey recalled to ABC that he told his son “Slow down dude, you might lose it” as he pulled in the hefty catch that he could not recognise. But Sean quickly identified the species. “He said, ‘It’s a piranha!’” Michael said and when asked how he knew, Seamus replied: “Because I watch YouTube!” The Pennsylvania fish and boat commission later confirmed the identification. “Our biologists have confirmed that this is some species of piranha,” said Mike Parker, a spokesperson for the agency, to ABC. The broadcaster said that officials assumed the fish had made it into Pennsylvania’s waters because it had been released by someone who owned it as an exotic pet. Such actions can

Aug 13, 2026 → Aug 26, 2026