Quote:
Originally Posted by Wmcmanus
I'm concerned about how the public perception of stingrays will change as a result of this tragedy. Describing it as a "freak" accident seems totally appropriate in my experience.
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This website says there are 5,000 stingray injuries a year in the U.S.
http://www.jerrylabella.com/stingray.html
Another site tells us: In Colombia, health authorities register more than 2,000 cases of
freshwater stingray incidents annually. Over a five year period in one small local hospital
there were eight deaths, 23 amputations of lower limbs, and 114 other cases
where victims were unable to work. Native people in South America where these fish are found are absolutely terrified by them, considering the often casual attitudes towards the vast number of other dangerous creatures in their realm.
But I'm sure getting it in the chest is "freak". As this story suggests:
>Passive stingrays can be deadly
By Danny Rose and Jane Williams
Stingrays are considered passive creatures, but their venom and their barbed tails can be deadly, experts say. Even so, fatal attacks such as the one that killed television star and naturalist Steve Irwin are extrenely rare.
Irwin, 44, died today when a spear-like stingray barb pierced his chest while diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and it's believed he may have had a heart attack. Irwin's death was only the third known stingray death in Australian waters, said shark and stingray expert Victoria Brims from Oceanworld Manly, in Sydney.
Marine biologist Dr Meredith Peach said stingray attacks were uncommon.
"It is really quite unusual for divers to be stung, unless they are grappling with the animal and knowing Steve Irwin perhaps that may have been the case.
Dr Peach, the author of the website
www.sharkchic.com.au, said there were more than 100 species on stingray in Australian waters - the largest measuring up to 2m across.
She said a much smaller stingray could still inflict a blow severe enough to pierce the chest.
Professor David Booth, a fish ecologist who dives regularly on the Great Barrier Reef, said being impaled by a stingray was a less common but still potentially deadly injury.
"Certainly the injuries I've seen have been penetrating wounds where someone has stepped on the animal," Prof Booth said today. "I've seen a horrible one when the spine went through a guy's leg muscle."
"But the big ones have enough inertia in their body that if you go near them they can whip their tail around and get you.
"The lashing involves the tail coming back over the body on the top side and they are pretty accurate with their spine."
Possibly passive, but I suppose they got the name STINGray someplace. Maybe the rays youre talking about are Skates, which don't have the same barbs. Poor steve.
