300-Pound Stingray Strikes Rhode Island Fisherman; Victim Ends Up In Critical Care

A Rhode Island fisherman ended up in critical care after a dangerous encounter with a 300-pound stingray while fishing off the coast of Montauk, New York.

James McKenna was onboard the commercial boat named Shelby Ann, out of Point Judith, around 8 p.m. Sunday when the barbs of the stingray struck him below his knee, leaving him in unbearable pain and shock, media outlet WJAR reported.

The crew of the boat immediately alerted the Coast Guard. On learning that the man was showing signs of shock, the Coast Guard sent a crew to evaluate him, and determined he needed to be medevaced from the boat.

"We get the information a 300-pound stingray stung this guy in the leg and he needs critical care," Lt. Junior Andrew Doyle of the U.S. Coast Guard told WJAR. The medevac from Massachusetts was there by 9 p.m. with another crew in the water from New York.

According to Doyle, this was an uncommon situation and the crew had to work to position the medevac to send a rescue swimmer down, as well as a stretcher.

"We get a fisherman in distress from a stingray, maybe they've been injured by a piece of fishing gear or a medical condition or something like that. This was kind of an uncommon situation," he added.

Though the hoist wasn't what they are used to doing, they made it work and secured McKenna safely, a video released by U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod showed.

"They had removed it prior to us getting there but it had left a significant portion of it embedded into his leg," said Doyle. "We took it with us to the hospital, so the physicians, doctors, and nurses could assess how bad the damage had been and what they needed to do with it," he added.

Thankfully, McKenna survived and was in a stable condition Wednesday afternoon at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence Journal reported.

However, he has a long road ahead to recovery. But, McKenna was grateful to be alive and said he owed everyone involved in his rescue a debt of gratitude.

"We're always happy to be able to provide this kind of care. It's a real honor and humbling experience, especially looking back at the footage," Doyle added.