A spear fisherman was shot in the face by a spear off the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on Friday morning.

According to Netcare911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst, the incident took place around 9.30am at Scottburgh, south of Durban.

"Reports from the scene indicate that a 48-year-old male sustained serious facial trauma after being shot in the face by a spear. He was pulled out the water by eThekwini lifeguards, where he was treated on scene," he said.

Pictures seen by SowetanLIVE's sister publication TimesLIVE show the spear entering the man's right cheek, just below his eye. It exits his face between his left eye and his ear.

The man was taken by helicopter to hospital for further treatment after being stabilised on the scene.

The circumstances leading up to the incident were unclear, said Herbst.

- TimesLIVE