Photograph Captures Local Fisherman's Dangerous Encounter With Sea Lion

SAN DIEGO (CBSLA.com) — A San Diego fisherman had a close and dangerous encounter with a sea lion while posing for a photograph.

The incident happened aboard Dan Carlin's boat in the Mission Bay Channel earlier this month.

Carlin was posing with his big catch when a sea lion jumped up and grabbed the fish.

In the process, though, the sea lion also caught Carlin's hand in it's jaw and dragged him underwater.

A photograph captured the moment.

"And the minute she said 'Smile,' the 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, flipped my legs up in the air and I went straight down," he said.

Carlin thinks he was underwater and struggling with the sea lion for 20 seconds before he broke free.