Mum Has Lucky Escape As Stingray Strikes In Phuket

A mum got a nasty surprise as she waded barefoot in the sea around Phuket, when she accidentally stood on a stingray.

Dawn North, 44, knew instantly what had happened as excruciating pain seared through her foot, when the creature's barb struck.

She said "I didn't realise how bad the injury was till I lifted my foot from the water and I saw the amount of blood".

Dawn's boyfriend rushed to her rescue, carrying her from the sea to the safety of the beach.

Local hotel staffed, helped carry her to the reception, where she was placed in a taxi and taken to a medical centre.

Medics were at a loss as to what was wrong with her due to the language barrier as Dawn began to feel nauseous and dizzy. Finally, a doctor agreed she had in fact been stung by the barb of a stingray. She was taken to hospital, where she was treated with antibiotics, antihistamines and morphine.

Dawn from Staffordshire and a mother of three, had to take three months off work and attend physiotherapy, to strengthen the area affected by the ray's poison.

Australian TV presenter Steve Irwin died as a result of being struck by a stingray, when its barb pierced his heart, off the coast of Queensland. The popular presenter died almost instantly as the creature struck numerous times in a matter of seconds.

Source: The Daily Star