FISHO writer Greg Finney would like to pass on a safety warning to all readers who wade fish on sand flats.
Finney contacted Fisho today with details of an ongoing injury one of his friends sustained from a stingray encounter around six months ago.
Finney says his friend “Jo C”, was walking from a moored boat to the beach in Jervis Bay when she stepped on a small stringray. The ray arched over and hit her twice in the top of her foot before she could react and get off it.
Jo experienced excruciating pain and the ray’s spike had actually severed an artery in her foot which resulted in a “lot of blood”. It was thought the injury would heal within a few days but unfortunately infection from the spike set in and Jo spent three months in and out of hospital and had eight operations to save her foot from amputation. She has lost the two worst infected toes and has had a very long road to recovery.
Finney reports that Jo is still walking with the aid of crutches and has a splint on the foot and may need another operation before doctors give her the “all clear”. Even then she will be walking with a limp and has a badly scarred foot.
Finney advises anyone who wade fishes sand flats to get themselves a pair of quality flats footwear before walking and fishing anywhere near stingray habitat.
“Simms make a great pair of flats boots that I recently used at Christmas Island. Lightweight nylon booties won’t protect you from stingray spines as they will normally drive their spike into the top of your foot,” he said.
