Fla. boater stabbed in chest by stingray

Thu Oct 19, 9:21 AM ET

LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. - An 81-year-old boater was in critical condition Thursday after a stingray flopped onto his boat and stabbed 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.

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.

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well the sea is afterall their home.
its like traspassing.

weepingwall said:

...but when you fly up out of the water and into a boat...then the FISH is the one trespassing!

PurpleJedi said:

the sting ray did not fly.
it jumped in a torpedo like form.
[Edited 10/19/06 21:42pm]

Whatever happens DONT PULL OUT!!

weepingwall said:

waht fired out of a submarine?

They're jealous of our freedom!

Coming soon to a theater near you...(*cue scary music)... STINGRAY: The movie. This film has not yet been rated.

I think this is a load of crap. I will bet you anything he was hunting the damn thing. There have been a lot of reports of people doing that ever since the animal guy got killed.

I hate this new generation of stingrays. All of a sudden just stabbing unsuspecting humans. I mean, all that's gonna happen is the humans are gonna fish up a bunch of rays and mutilate them and then the rays are gonna go and stab someone else. *sigh* it's just a vicious cycle you know? When is this ray-human-human-ray violence gonna end?

I heard about this on the news last night, and could not believe that it was happening yet again.

applekisses said:

you crack me up, Apples!

IrresistibleB1tch said:

They're terrorists!

applekisses said:

all this animal rights talk has emboldened them, i'm afraid!

"Stingrays on a Cruise line!!" coming, March 2008

purplerein said:

"I want these MFin' stingrays off this MFin' cruise line!!!!"

TMPletz said:

I think they are blotting to overthrow humans.

lazycrockett said:

i asked a Dr that is an experienced trauma and reconstructive surgeon and he said that pulling it out was likely what killed him. it is like when someone is impaled ... it is better to keep it in than to take it out.