Man dies from heart attack after stingray barb strikes his stomach
A man has died from heart attack after he was stung by a stingray while swimming at a Tasmanian beach.
The 42-year-old went into cardiac arrest about 3pm on Saturday at Lauderdale Beach, east of Hobart, after he suffered a puncture wound to his lower abdomen, police say.
He was swimming alone and close to shore when the attack happened.
Friends pulled him from the water and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
Tasmania Police Senior Constable Brett Bowering told the Sunday Tasmanian the man’s injury was consistent with that of a stingray jab, but further examinations were needed to give “more of a concrete fact”.
“It’s a pretty traumatic incident to see,” he said.
Locals told the Tasmanian the man swam frequently at the beach.
Clarence Mayor Doug Chipman told the ABC his thoughts were with the man’s family.
“It’s a dreadful accident, I’m actually shocked,” he said.
Cr Chipman said he’s not aware of stingray injuries on Lauderdale Beach but council will take advice from police and local experts to determine the best course of action.
The man’s death comes more than a decade after world-renowned “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin was killed when a stingray barb punctured his chest while he was filming on the famed Great Barrier Reef.
– with AAP and AFP
