While sharks are making headlines for their recent attacks, experts say the sturgeon should also be feared this time of year.
The great white shark is a monster of the deep; everyone knows it can kill. But there's another monster fish that is just as dangerous: the sturgeon.
In a 911 call, a person is heard saying, “I need an ambulance. There's been a big hit by a sturgeon! Oh my God, this is bad!”
The 911 operator said, “How many of them are hurt?”
The caller replied, “Three. The five-year-old, and the woman is the worst. Please hurry!”
The desperate 911 call came too late to save the life of five-year-old Jaylon Rippy, who was with her family on the Suwannee River in Florida when their boat was struck by a 200-pound-sturgeon. Her mother and nine-year-old brother were also injured.
This time of year, thousands of sturgeon come into fresh water rivers from the Gulf of Mexico to spawn - and they leap out of the water without warning because of lower water levels.
One actually jumped clear over a family's boat - narrowly missing a child.
Unlike sharks - who are natural predators and attack their prey, sturgeon aren't aggressive. Strikes are simply accidental collisions.
Read: Great White Hovers Under Paddle Boarders
But sturgeon can grow to 11 feet and weigh over 1,000 pounds, so a strike is like being hit by a truck.
The nation is fixated on sharks - especially great whites. Discovery Channel's Shark Week is battling National Geographic's SharkFest for the biggest bite of the TV audience.
But the sturgeon may challenge the shark as the number-one fish to be feared.
Watch Below: Fisherman on Kayak Dragged Into Water by Shark Will Make Your Heart Stop
