Surprise stingray discovery on Aussie beach leads to 'legendary' act by locals

The incredible rescue of a "very heavy" stingray has been praised by experts after a group of Aussies rushed to the animal's aid when it washed up with the tide and became stranded on the sand.

Belinda Bell told Yahoo News Australia she first saw the animal — an estuary stingray, endemic to eastern Australia — on Saturday while visiting Gerroa Beach on the NSW South Coast. "The poor thing had been washed ashore and got stuck, and I couldn’t just leave him there as I knew the tide was going out," she said.

Not knowing what to do, the worried resident posted on her local Facebook community page for help. "Within 15 minutes I had people from the community running down onto the beach with a tarp and shovel," she explained.

Among them was a father and his six children armed with supplies who rushed down after seeing Belinda's plea, his wife Sophie Payne told Yahoo.

"There were two ladies already at the beach trying to help but the stingray was just too heavy to move", she explained, referring to Belinda. "We managed to slide the tarp under the stingray, who was very exhausted by the time we got there".

Can stingrays be dangerous?

Videos shared with Yahoo show the group's incredible effort. Belinda said they attempted to "push" the ray onto the trap "without getting in the way of his barb" — the stingray's spine.

The barb is located towards the base of the tail and is "sharp as well as potentially venomous" Jaelen Myers, from James Cook University, previously told Yahoo. It's generally advised not to touch a stingray in case of injury — it's what claimed the life of wildlife icon Steve Irwin.

• Swimmer shocks onlookers with divisive stingray act at Aussie beach

• Stingray 'a long way from home' spotted swimming on busy Aussie street

• Controversial stingray ‘rescue’ from shrinking rock pool divides Aussies

"It took four of us to carry him over to the river mouth and off he went back out to the ocean," Belinda continued. "Was such a great group effort for all involved. It was such a beautiful outcome". The stingray was unharmed and was able to swim back out to sea.

Group's rescue technique 'looks perfect'

After watching how the beachgoers tackled the situation, marine biologist Ian Tibbetts said "these folks certainly did it a kind service and their technique looked perfect."

"They identified the threat – the venomous spine on the tail and kept everyone away from that. I’d say top marks should go to this team compared to some other stingray 'rescues' I have seen," he told Yahoo.

In one video, the stingray can be seen with half its body resting on the grey tarp. One person is seen shovelling water onto the animal's body which Tibbits said was "sensible".

"They sensibly sluiced water over the spiracles – the holes behind each eye," he said. "This would have resulted in some oxygenated water reaching the gills while also keeping its skin moist. The gill slits (outlets) are on the bottom of the animal."

While this rescue had a happy ending, with many locals calling it "legendary", Tibbetts warned "the sting from a stingray is extremely painful" and advised caution.

"I guess if you have a shovel and a tarp give it a go, but otherwise be very, very careful and keep children and animals well clear," he said.

When it comes to injuries caused by marine life, a 2017 report found that between 2013 and 2016 there had been 116 incidents involving stingrays in NSW, second only to bluebottles. Deaths from stingrays, although rare, do happen. In 2018, a 42-year-old man died of a heart attack after being stung while swimming in Tasmania.

Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.