An Egyptian fisherman is recovering after undergoing emergency surgery to remove a live fish that had become lodged in his throat and nearly suffocated him, reports the NY Post.

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The 40-year-old man arrived at the Beni Suef Specialized Hospital unable to speak and experiencing shortness of breath as he was admitted.

Apparently the fish got stuck in his windpipe as he held it in his mouth while trying to catch a second fish. Here’s a video of doctors extracting the fish and saving his life:

Well it’s a relief to know he was just holding the fish in his mouth and not trying to swallow it whole like a damn pelican, because that would be some Darwin Award level stupidness right there. I mean look at this thing – just imagine it wriggling around and slowly dying inside your windpipe while choking you to death at the same time:

Really makes you appreciate how vindictive nature can be. Once this guy caught this fish out of the ocean, he thought it posed no danger at all. In fact he was so unafraid of the fish that he thought it would be cool to hold it in his mouth for a few minutes. Unfortunately for him, little Nemo wasn’t going out without a fight. He basically said if I’m going down, I’m taking this Egyptian fisherman with me.

Luckily for the fisherman he had science and medicine on his side, but let this be a lesson to the rest of us who use our mouths as temporary placeholders for live fish. They can and will still get you.

For the man who spent three hours using a fishing rod to steal an $800 Versace necklace, click HERE. Patience is key.