HOLDEN BEACH, North Carolina (WJW) – A northeast Ohio woman is recovering after she took a hit from a stingray while vacationing in the Carolinas.
Tieryn Cotterman, 44, of Jackson Township said she was boogie boarding with family at Holden Beach, North Carolina when she was stung on Sunday, June 16. Cotterman said she was about waist deep when she felt “a sharp stab” to her foot.
“I stepped down and felt something fluttering and I tried to move my foot quickly but before I stepped up it got me,” said Cotterman. “I have been swimming in the ocean since I was little and I knew immediately that something stung or bit me because it hurt so bad.”
After a trip to the local emergency room, it was determined to be a wound from a stingray.
Pictures show how swollen her foot became.
According to Poison Control, every year about 1,500 – 2,000 stingray injuries are reported in the U.S.
Stingrays are known for their sharp, whip-like tail with a venomous spine. Poison Control reports the venom causes “intense pain, but the main risk of a stingray injury is the puncture wound.”
Cotterman said she was given a tetanus shot and a week’s worth of antibiotics. But, more than a week later, she had returned home and so did the swelling to her foot. She again went to an emergency room and was given more antibiotics and advice to continue monitoring the injury for signs and symptoms of an infection.
“The emergency room provider said this is why wearing water shoes is recommended when in the ocean,” said Cotterman.
In 2006, television personality and animal activist Steve Irwin, known as The Crocodile Hunter, was killed by a stingray after he was pierced in his chest. While death is rare, Poison Control states uncommon effects of the venom can include headaches, nausea and vomiting, fainting, low blood pressure, arrhythmias of the heart, and even seizures.
Experts suggest to help avoid a nasty encounter with a stingray try to shuffle your feet through the sand, rather than lifting your feet or walking normally.
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