Beachgoers in San Diego, California are being warned to be extra vigilant when in the sea, after a whopping 41 people were stung by stingrays last Wednesday.
Injuries caused by stingrays — usually as a result of people stepping on them — are common at this time of year, but the number of stings on Wednesday was particularly high. Most of the injuries occurred in the La Jolla area.
One of the people stung had to be taken to hospital. Others were treated in a makeshift triage set up on the beach where they soaked their injuries in buckets filled with hot water to help break down the protein in the sting and alleviate the excruciating pain, described by one of the victims as like being stabbed with a screwdriver.
Lt. John Everhart, who is a lifeguard on one of the affected beaches, said that shuffling your feet along the ocean floor while wading makes it less likely that you will step on the barb of a stingray, and also helps by scaring them away.
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