California beach town sees record stingray injuries

(AP) – Officials say a new stingray injury record at Huntington Beach was reached when 73 people reported injuries in a single day.

Marine Safety Lt. Claude Panis tells the Orange County Register in his 40 years of working as a lifeguard at the beach, he never saw so many stingray injuries reported to the level it reached on Friday.

Panis says the spike in stingray injuries is in part due to extreme low tides, small surf and warmish water in the low 60s along with a holiday crowds in town and people off work and school.

On Thursday, 45 stingray injuries were reported to Huntington lifeguards, a number also higher than usual.

Lifeguards plan to educated people on techniques to keep stingrays away.