[kall]

As per KRT Wire | 10/18/2006 | Stingray injures man after leaping onto his boat

Stingray injures man after leaping onto his boat

By Sofia Santana and Brian Haas
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
(MCT)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - His two adult granddaughters at his side, retired developer James Bertakis took to the Florida Intracoastal Waterway on his boat Wednesday afternoon for a peaceful cruise and to admire the waterfront mansions.
Then a spotted eagle ray rocketed out of the water, landing in the boat and stabbing the 81-year-old in the chest as he tried to push it back in the water, his family said.
The freak occurrence, which brought to mind the stingray attack that killed "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, seriously injured Bertakis.
He had open-heart surgery at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale late Wednesday, according to another of Bertakis' granddaughters, who lives in Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Scary! First the Crocodile Hunter, now this guy...

I sure know I'm not going near the water any time soon...OMG, I have to drive over several bridges every day!

[ToxiouS]

it jumped up into the boat???? freaken hell! That's one evil sting ray.