I've never been a big fan of stingrays since Steve Irwin died. But a stingray has struck again, this time attacking a 68-year-old woman.
The woman was snorkleing in South Australia when she ran afoul of a sting ray. The sea creature stabbed her, impaling its 6-inch barb into her arm. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on the rare stingray attack. 68-year-old Pam Bennett said that the creature took her by surprise.
Rather than wrong place and wrong time like Irwin's case, Bennett believed the creature actually attacked her. "I actually didn't see that stingray — he had come from behind, I think. He had actually attacked. That's not their normal behavior," Bennett told the outlet. "It wasn't long after that that I felt the barb go into my arm."
She had been performing a survey on the sea life with colleagues in the area. For some reason, there's been a higher than usual number of fish deaths in the region. Upon being attacked, Bennett realized that things were serious. The stingray barb had pierced through her brachial artery. Colleague and biologist Mike Bossle detailed the chaotic aftermath.
Stingray Vs Woman
"We had to get Pam out of the water, she was bleeding quite heavily, but she's a very brave woman and didn't panic or anything," he said, per News.com. au.
She required surgery after the attack.
"It was actually laying alongside the brachial artery but it didn't penetrate the artery. I could have been a Steve Irwin," Bennett told ABC. She's just thankful to be alive. "In hindsight, I feel like I've won the lottery because I'm amazed it was me and not a young child."
It's an oddity for sure. South Australian Department for Environment and Water cites the animals as often being misunderstood and while not docile, not aggressive. Stingrways usually swim away from danger, not towards it.
"Stingrays are not aggressive. They are curious and playful animals when there are divers and snorkellers around, and if they feel threatened their first instinct is to swim away," they said. "But as with all marine life, people must respect stingrays' personal space ... Never threaten or corner a ray, and always keep an eye out for their tail."
