A teenager in south Florida is recovering after being shot in the head with a fishing spear.

Sixteen-year-old Yasser Lopez was spear fishing with a friend when he was accidentally shot by a spear-gun which went off as the pair were loading the weapons on deck.

The spear entered just above his right eye and penetrated through his brain to the back of his skull.

The teenager was airlifted to a Miami hospital where doctors spent three-hours removing the spear with the aid of a high-speed drill

Miraculously, no vital brain structures were damaged by the harpoon.