Florida Man Stabbed by Stingray

[Flats Rascal]

Lighthouse Point man stabbed in chest by stingray



LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. (AP) -- An 81-year-old boater was in critical condition Thursday after a stingray flopped onto his boat and stung him, leaving a foot-long barb in his chest, authorities said.

"It was a freak accident," said Lighthouse Point acting fire Chief David Donzella. "It's very odd that the thing jumped out of the water and stung him. We still can't believe it."

Fatal stingray attacks like the one that killed "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin last month are rare, marine experts say. Rays reflexively deploy a sharp spine in their tails when frightened, but the venom coating the barb usually causes just a painful sting for humans.

James Bertakis of Lighthouse Point was on the water with his granddaughter and a friend Wednesday when the stingray flopped onto the boat and stung Bertakis. The women steered the boat to shore and called 911.

Bertakis was apparently trying to remove the spotted eagle ray from the boat when he was stung, police Cmdr. Mike Oh said. The ray was approximately 3 feet across and 18 to 24 inches long, Oh said. Officials have kept the dead ray in case doctors need to examine it, Oh said.

Surgeons were able to remove some of the barb, and Bertakis, who also suffered a collapsed lung, underwent surgery late Wednesday and early Thursday, the Miami Herald reported on its web site.

Ellen Pikitch, a professor of marine biology and fisheries at the University of Miami, who has been studying stingrays for decades, said they are generally docile.

"Something like this is really, really extraordinarily rare," she said. "Even when they are under duress, they don't usually attack."

[Barhopr]

A report I heard on NPR said the barb was nearly 11" long.

[Littoral]

Ellen Pikitch, a professor of marine biology and fisheries at the University of Miami:
"Something like this is really, really extraordinarily rare," she said. "Even when they are under duress, they don't usually attack."

Never heard of even one attacking, but they can jump in a boat and accidentally hurt someone.

[Charles]

Now, Lit. You know as well as I do that if it wasn't an "attack" it wouldn't be worthy of the mass media.
Which headline do you think we'd most likely see?

"Hornets Attack Children"
or
"Hornets Successfully Defend Nest from Rock Throwing Kids"

Them little buggers really don't like it when you actually hit their house.

[EddieJoe]

Ellen Pikitch, a professor of marine biology and fisheries at the University of Miami:
"Something like this is really, really extraordinarily rare," she said. "Even when they are under duress, they don't usually attack."

Never heard of even one attacking, but they can jump in a boat and accidentally hurt someone.

Not only that, it wasn't a "stingray", it was a spotted eagle ray. As you say, never heard of an eagle ray attacking, and using the word "attack" regarding this fish is asinine. The rays jump and sometimes a boat happens to be there, they are not "attacking" the boat or a person in it, unless you pick them up and hold them to your chest. Then you might get hurt. They can, no doubt by mistake, hurt you by landing in the boat.

Using the same logic, had a kingfish "attack" my boat one time by jumping in and then it "attacked" me as I tried to ease it, totally green and untouched by a hook, into the cooler. I'm sure the king was out to get me as I startled it with my boat and it leaped for my throat. Who writes this stuff? I actually saw someone on TV after the spotted eagle ray "attack" posing as a "climate change" scientist discuss how global warming might be driving fish to attack people.

Geez...

EJ