DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Two people along the Florida coastline were taken to the hospital Sunday morning after they were pierced by stingray barbs.
The first incident involved a 50-year-old man from South Carolina in ankle-deep water, said Deputy Chief Tamra Malphurs with Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.
He told authorities that a wave crashed and he felt "instant pain," Malphurs said. Although he didn't see anything in the water, a stingray barb punctured his left ankle.
Another person, a 24-year-old woman from Maryland, also was said to be in ankle-deep water when she stepped on a barb. It reportedly was seen on the bottom of her left foot.
Both visitors were taken to Halifax Health for treatment; they complained of pain "shooting" up their legs, Malphurs said.
In June, a fever of more than 100 cownose rays was seen gliding through the water near the Lani Kai Island Resort in Fort Myers Beach.
“They’re just kind of swimming through. Excuse us, we’re coming through,” Dana’s wife, Carrianne Conidaris, is heard saying in the now-viral video.
Although some people were spooked by the group, the rays did not cause any injuries.
