Record Number Of Stingray Attacks In One Day On Huntington Beach, California

73 people were injured by a large group of stingrays at Huntington Beach, Southern California, Friday.

According to a report by The Orange County Register, 73 was a record number of victims who were injured by the stingrays. Marine Safety Lt. Claude Panis stated that in his 40 years of operating as a lifeguard at the beach, he had never seen so many stingray injuries in one day.

Panis reportedly said, “We’re infested.”

“That’s just how many we treated. In my 40 years, that’s as many as I’ve had in a single day. It’s a problem,” he added.

Panis then stated that due to the low tides, small surf and the warm temperature of the water coupled with people who came to beach from the town, off work and school, resulted in the increased number of stingrays.

“It’s just a formula for disaster,” Panis said.

On Thursday, 45 people were injured due to the same reason, stated the report.

Lifeguards, Friday established a sting ray station at their headquarters consisting of chairs and buckets for the people who might need it due to injuries.

With regards to the number of people needing relief after being attack by stingrays, Panis said, “They were just coming through the door rapid fire .”

Panis then stated that he communicated with the permit holder of Surf City Splash, which holds a New Year’s Day dip event every year. The lifeguards planned on speaking to the large gathering of people to give them instructions on how to do a “stingray shuffle” which includes dragging their feet on the sand after they have been stung.

Panis also suggested to the organizers of the event give people sticks and make them lead the way towards the ocean for the dip so that they can scare off the stingrays via the stick.

Panis reportedly said, “People are going to go out and I’m thinking they will get stung .”

Panis described the injury by saying, “It’s extremely painful. ”

“It will ruin your day, you’ll end up going home and sticking your foot in hot water all day,” he added.

He also said, “Of course, they have to follow up with a doctor, it’s a puncture wound and can get infected.”

According to the report, Lee Love, the organizer of the Surf City Splash event stated that after swimming in water for decades she was injured by stingrays, twice last week.

She reportedly said, “The first time, it was so painful, so excruciating .”

With regards to the special measures taken during the New Year’s dip, she said, “This year with the stingrays, we’re going to do the Surf City shuffle, instead of the Surf City Splash .”

However, this incident was not surprising. According to a report by ABC News in August, numerous beaches in Southern California faced increased numbers of stingray attacks because of certain weather conditions which brought the stingrays closer to the shores, as stated by local lifeguards.

According to lifeguard battalion chief of Newport Beach Fire Department, Mike Halphide, lifeguards recorded 127 stingray-related injuries at the time. During the same period in 2016, there were only 20 attacks due to the same cause.

According to Halphide, the increase in stingray attacks started taking place since mid-July in 2017 when the water temperatures also spiked.