Penetrating injuries to the neck, mouth and base of the skull are particularly dangerous and potentially lethal, Dr. Robert Glatter of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York told CBSNews.com. "The harpoon was apparently quite close to the carotid artery, a vital artery that supplies blood to the brain," said Glatter, who is not involved in the woman's treatment. Interruption of this blood vessel can lead to death or a stroke, depending on severity of the injury. Glatter said the woman's survival is attributed to the fact that the harpoon missed her carotid artery. "She may have some residual neurologic deficits from injuries to other blood vessels which supply the spinal cord, as well as trauma to other areas of the spinal cord itself," Glatter said. This is the second harpoon accident in Brazil in less than a month.