STINGRAY

More than 200 people suffered stingray injuries in Huntington Beach this weekend.
Beachgoers drawn to the sand suffered stings to their ankles and lower legs.

The warm water and “negative low tides” brought the sea creatures close to the shore, according to Huntington Beach lifeguards.

A total of 209 people suffered those stings.

In a social media post, lifeguards encouraged “everyone to practice the ‘stingray [foot] shuffle’ and stay near an open lifeguard tower.”

Stingrays typically only bite when stepped on.

Stingrays are a species of fish, and the thorntail stingray is native to the warmer temperate oceans. Their stings – they may have as many as three “blades” – can cause pain, swelling, muscle cramps and sometimes infection. However, fatal stings are very rare.