How to treat a stingray sting injury | Manzanillo Mexico Travel Blog

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Manzanillo Beach Safety- What to do if stung by stingray

Submitted by Manzanillo Blogger on Friday, 19 December 200812 Comments

The beaches of Manzanillo are a relatively safe place. No sharks, nothing too dangerous, just beautiful beach and calm waters. There is one small danger though, and that is stingrays. These normally docile creatures pack a hefty punch if you happen to step on them by accident. You would lash out too if somebody tried to squish you with their foot. This creature has been made infamous by the unfortunate accident with the Crocodile Hunter.

Death from stingray stings is very very rare. The pain from a stingray bite is very intense, you may feel like you are going to die. Don't worry, you probably won't. If you follow a few basic steps, you will have nothing to worry about. It's important to know what immediate steps to take after getting stung, so please read carefully.

How to treat a stingray injury:

Give the wound immediate attention the longer you wait the more it will hurt!
Immerse injured area completely in hot water, as hot as you can stand. Hot water neutralizes the venom and the pain. Also you will be thanking yourself if you take a heavy pain killer.
Soak in hot water for as long as it takes (usually around 20 minutes). Vinegar supposedly helps draw the venom out, put a good amount of vinegar in the water as well.
Have a doctor look at the wound as soon as possible. Especially if pain does not begin to subside after 20 minutes or so immersed in hot water, or it starts to spread up the leg or swell. The spine of the stingray often shatters upon impact, so shards of the spine may be stuck in your foot.
Take special care with the wounded area afterwards, it is especially susceptible to infection even a week or more after the accident so use antibiotic cream to keep wound clean.
Keep foot elevated.
Tequila helps.

If left untreated with the hot water the venom will spread up the leg and into your more... sensitive areas... and then on up into your heart. Possibly resulting in cardiac arrest. It is agonizingly slow and painful if you don't follow the above simple steps. There is no known anti-venom for stingray stings. They will give you an injection if you go to the hospital, but we're not sure what it is. Probably a pain killer and a nice little placebo. Sometimes they will administer a mild narcotic (!!!) as well to reduce the pain. Hmm...

For further reading check this link: Stingray Injury Treatment

Of course, it's best if you can avoid a stingray sting all together

Avoiding stingray injuries:

In order to drastically reduce your chance of getting hit by a friendly little stingray try to avoid unpopulated beaches. In places where there are more people playing in the waters, the rays have likely already been scared off.

Also always shuffle your feet along the sand as you walk in the water. That way you will either scare off, or scoot away any sleeping stingrays. Remember, they only sting you if you step directly on them.

So, there you go. Have fun out on Manzanillo's beaches on your next vacation! But be safe, be careful, and be informed!

-Dedicated to my father and his foot.

12 Comments »

El zorro platiado said:

Yes… it was me! I usually tend to shuffle my feet to prevent such an occurrence. The little guy got me in the side of the foot, so I don’t think I stepped on it. Nonetheless… there is a lot of pain. The hot water sure does help. After two hours, where the pain would spike and ebb and the venom oozed out like a gel (which is a weird feeling), the pain stopped.

What is disconcerting is that the wound bleeds a lot. On the plus side, that keeps the wound clean and helps to clear out any little pieces of the tail. But it is disconcerting.

Don’t let this keep you out of the water. Just know what to do as we share the water with its creatures.

- 20 December 2008 at 9:09 am

El zorro platiado said:

I also want to credit my two boyz with my speedy recovery. They whisked me away to the hospital and took great care of me.

Thanks men!

Papí

- 20 December 2008 at 9:37 am

Scott McMurren said:

Thanks for the tips. We’ve been swimming out here on the far side of Bahia de Santiago near Vida del Mar. So far–no rays. Also went up to Barra de Navidad and Melaque. I think the pelicans scare the rays off up there!

- 20 December 2008 at 2:27 pm

Mark H said:

You are far more likely to be hurt crossing the road to get to the beach!!

- 21 December 2008 at 2:03 am

crazy4manzanillo said:

not really a beach lover, so i probably have a lesser chance of getting to know a sting-ray!

- 21 December 2008 at 11:48 pm

Andrew Burton said:

A one-cell thick sheath surrounds the barb. When the barb comes out, the cells stay in the wound, and it is those cells that contain the venom. You should also immediately take a strong antibiotic as there is always the risk of blood poisoning. Electric rays are also present but the shock of the species encountered in the waters around Manzanillo is not particularly powerful.

What is important for people to realize, is that stingrays are going to become more and more abundant because large inshore sharks which are the main predator of stingrays, have disappeared. This means that there is a high probability that if you walk around in the water, instead of swimming, you will be stung. Concentric stingrays will be particularly abundant January onwards.

- 22 December 2008 at 12:02 pm

Manzanillo Blogger (author) said:

Wow, I didn’t know that! Thanks for sharing.

Hey everybody, that’s Andrew Burton the Shark Hunter. He is a zoologist living in Colima, he has studied the animals in this region for decades including Mountain Lions, the volcano, and the marine biology in and around Manzanillo.

He gives all kinds of nature tours and adventure tours for the area. Check out his website at http://shark-hunter-manzanillo.blogspot.com/.

- 22 December 2008 at 10:45 pm

Manzanillo Blogger (author) said:

Although Mark H is probably right about likelyhood of getting hit crossing the street! Look both ways guys! Even on the one way streets…

- 22 December 2008 at 10:46 pm

El zorro platiado said:

Great! I wasn’t even in the water deep enough to swim. The water was only mid-calf when I was stung. It probably looked pretty silly; carrying my boogie board into the water and then nearly immediately turning around and carrying my boogie board out of the water.

Oh well. Maybe boogie boarding after January is a better idea.

- 22 December 2008 at 11:26 pm

Susan Dearing said:

As a scuba instructor we see stings from jellyfish, sting rays, and various other creatures. For most of these envenomations, we carry vinegar, meat tenderizer, antihistimine tablets, antibiotics (ciprofloxacin) and hydrocortizone topical cream. The “hydrocortizona” creme in Mexico is much stronger than what is available over the counter in the U.S. so I’d suggest that everyone keep some handy. Meat tenderizer is known here at “alblandador” in the spice section in the supermarket. It is a good idea to research on the Divers Alert Network web site: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org for more information. Here is the link specifically relating to all types of envenomations from the marine environment: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=36

The sting rays here in Manzanillo will be here through April. They come in when the water gets colder. As the summer season begins in May, most move on to cooler waters as the temperature of the water begins to warm.

If you’re planning to spend some time at the beach (and who woulndn’t–Manzanillo’s beaches are beautiful, it is probably a good idea to put together an emergency first aid kit like we have on our snorkel and dive boats) just in case. Immediate attention to the sting is the key.

- 3 January 2009 at 12:56 pm

Manzanillo Blogger (author) said:

That’s a great idea. The meat tenderizer makes you much more palatable to the sharks that are attracted by the blood in the water! JUST KIDDING!!!

It is always good to have a good emergency first aid kit on hand when going to the beach. Be prepared!

- 3 January 2009 at 6:14 pm

babaluigi said: