Fish lures fisherman to his death

 BERLIN (Reuters) - A fish caught in an east German lake near the Polish border not only got off the hook but also lured a 46-year-old fisherman to his death, police in the eastern town of Eisenhuettenstadt said Tuesday.

A  police spokeswoman said the fish pulled the fishing rod out of the man's hands and dragged it about 100 metres away from shore at the Kleinen Pohlitzer lake near Eisenhuettenstadt. The man took off his clothes and swam after the pole.

An eyewitness said the man reached the rod floating on the surface but then suddenly stopped moving. The witness, 54, swam out to help him and pulled the fisherman back to shore, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

"I know it sounds like an incredible story but it really happened," an Eisenhuettenstadt police spokeswoman said. "It was apparently just an ordinary fish."