Stingray Pierces Florida Man’s Heart
In a freak accident similar to the one that took Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin’s life, an 81-year-old man was struck in the chest by a 3-foot-wide stingray while boating on the Intracoastal Waterway of Florida. James Bertakis managed to make it to shore where he was taken by ambulance to Broward General Medical Center. He underwent five hours of surgery to repair puncture wounds to his heart caused by a 2 1/2-inch stingray barb.
[Dr. Eugene] Costantini said doctors repaired puncture wounds in Bertakis’ heart from the barb, which entered the left side, pierced the septum separating the two chambers of the heart and then bore through the right side. Doctors saw the barb sticking out of his heart when they began surgery, Costantini said, and pulled it through.
Mr. Bertakis is in critical but stable condition. What in the world is going on with these stingrays?!
Los Angeles Times, October 20, 2006
Technorati Tags: stingrays, stingray, james bertakis, accidents, steve irwin, crocodile hunter, heart, heart disease, diseases, illness, health, freak accident
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POSTED IN: Hearty News, Weird Heart Injuries
3 opinions for Stingray Pierces Florida Man’s Heart
kellys
Oct 27, 2006 at 2:33 am
I have followed this somewhat in the last few days and one thing facinates me. Stingrays are not an agressive fish. The main difference between the 2 attacks is that Steve Irwin had the barb pulled out. From what I have found, the barb will release a poison soon after it is used in a defensive maneuver. That is why they pulled the barb out of Steve Irwin’s chest. When they did this, he lost too much blood too quickly. The gentleman in Florida didn’t know this so they left it in. Unfortunately for Mr Irwin, too much knowledge lead to his demise.
Our prayers go out to his family.
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
Oct 29, 2006 at 11:32 am
kelly: Wow. I did not know that. Thanks for sharing.
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