A father-son fishing trip at Ridley Park Lake in Delaware County is now gaining national attention.
69 News Reporter Julianna Furfari spoke with Michael Coffey about his son’s surprising catch.
Coffey says his 8-year-old son Seamus is an avid fisher. The pair always goes to the same spot on Ridley Park Lake; this time they were using shrimp in an attempt to catch catfish.
Coffey says on their recent trip he knew there was a bite, but he was surprised at the fish’s fight. What they pulled out of the water is shocking and now has the internet talking.
“He was like no dad, that’s a piranha. I said no, it’s not a piranha, come on. Then I Google imaged it and it was a red belly piranha and my son was like I told you dad I told you,” explained Coffey.
8-year-old Seamus Coffey knew about piranhas from YouTube.
“When you felt it, it felt like a brick. The actual fish was solid. Crazy bone structure and nothing like we would catch,” said Coffey.
Coffey says he believes someone dumped the piranha into the body of water when they couldn’t care for it anymore.
What started as a reminder to not dump invasive species in the lakes sparked a viral sensation. The story took off.
The father and son duo are gaining national attention, so much so, that now companies are reaching out hoping to send gear to Seamus.
His dad is now documenting all their fishing adventures on social media.
You can check out updates on their Instagram account: ReelTalkPiranha