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Nearly 60 People Have Been Stung By Stingrays In San Diego Since Thursday
If you were planning on hitting the beach in San Diego this weekend, don't go near the water: local stingrays are on a stinging spree, zapping a reported 58 people on Thursday and Friday.
According to the San Diego Union Tribune, the water in Coronado are warm and calm, creating ideal conditions for stingrays to come out in full force. Lifeguards said that 35 people were were stung by rays on Thursday, the first reported incident occurring around 9 a.m. As of early Friday afternoon, 23 more people had been stung.
Coronado lifeguard captain Sean Carey told the Union Tribune that this was "above average," and that the rays were likely to stick around through the weekend, weather permitting.
It seems like this is the time of year when this kind of thing happens. Last August, hundreds of stingrays were spotted in Marina del Rey (Ray?).
The Coronado Times recommends that people who want to swim or wade in the waters should shuffle their feet (that would be the "stingray shuffle"), or stay on top of surf or boogie boards.
Stingrays are known for being "shy," and typically hide under the sand. But if they're disturbed, look out. According to a post on the City of Coronado Facebook page, the venom in the barbed stingers is poisonous, which causes immediate pain but is easily treatable by cleaning the wound and flushing it with hot water. Anyone who is stung should visit a lifeguard for treatment.
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