Shark! No, Wait… Stingray!

Beaches near Nelson, New Zealand have reopened after a suspected shark attack has now been confirmed as a run-in with a stingray.

Mike French, 47, had waded about 300 ft off Kina Beach, near Motueka, shortly after 3pm today when he felt something hit him in the side. He was able to get out of the water by himself and a couple at the beach raised the alarm. He was then flown by helicopter to Nelson Hospital.

French said he thought it had been a stingray attack since the gash was straight and not jagged.

Sergeant Rob Crawford, of Motueka police, said an examination of Mr French confirmed that the injury was more likely to have come from a sting-ray than a shark.

Beaches were closed after the attack but have since reopened.

There have been three stingray attacks in recent months. Last month an 11-year-old girl was attacked at Riversdale Beach, on the Wairarapa coast, and a man was attacked at Marfels Beach, near Blenheim. In December, a 48-year-old woman was attacked in Golden Bay.

[source]