Queensland hunter struck by stingray in Mackay while displaying barbs, needles and rushed to hospital
Hunter exposes the brutal reality of being attacked by a stingray after pulling the bacteria-coated needle barbs out of his body and rushing to the hospital: ‘The pain is insane’
- Hunter is stung by a stingray barb
- Morphine needed for excruciating pain
- Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray in 2006
A hunter ‘with more near-death experiences than you’d like to imagine’ added another to the list as he trudged through a swamp in search of food.
Pete Griffiths was out with a friend looking for a stingray to cook in Mackay, Queensland, on March 5, when a spike went through the palm of his hand.
Griffiths was rushed to hospital by his nurse girlfriend and detailed what it was like to be stabbed by a brutal stingray stingray.
Legendary crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, one of Australia’s most beloved personalities, was killed after a stingray barb pierced his chest in 2006.
Griffiths told Daily Mail Australia he was rushed to hospital and pumped on morphine.
“I was lucky enough to use my hand to block the spikes on his last try, otherwise it would have been a different story,” he said.
The barb is visibly coated in bacteria which, unless treated, can cause a serious infection.
After the doctors gave him some morphine and antibiotics, they let him let the pain wear off before going home to cook what he had caught.
Although stingrays are normally known to be tame, once threatened they have sharp, bacteria-infested spines on their tails for protection when necessary.
The barb is needle-sharp with jagged edges on each side, while the rays are visibly black due to toxic bacteria.
If not treated right away, the infection from the bacteria can be worse than the bite itself.
Griffiths said the pain was instantaneous once it pierced the skin, came in waves and intensified over time.
Pete Griffiths was out hunting for a stingray in Queensland with a friend before a fluttering barb ripped through the palm of his hand (wound pictured)
After running out of the water, his girlfriend dismissed his bravado that he didn’t need to go to the hospital when they got back to the car.
“The pain was only 5/10 and I thought if it got worse that fast I’d be in trouble,” Griffiths wrote in a Facebook post after leaving the hospital.
“By the time we got to the car, I would say we were at a 6-7/10 level and the pain was coming in waves.
“No wonder Steve Irwin got knocked out by one of these, the pain is insane and there’s no way he’s going to want to go through this again.”
Once he got to the emergency room, doctors administered 15 mg of morphine, oxycodone and a local anesthetic before immersing the wound in hot water, which at first gave him instant relief.
Once the water cooled the waves of pain got ten times worse according to Mr Griffiths (pictured)
However, once it cooled down, the pain “got tenfold worse.”
“The pain is total for three days, I’m on day 10 now and my hands are swollen again,” he said.
“In the video I was holding my hand against my leg to stop the bleeding, it also hit a nerve.
“I was out of the hospital after six or seven hours, before they sent me to another hospital and gave me medicine that I’m still taking.”
After getting over the excruciating pain, Mr. Griffith went straight home and into the kitchen, where he finished the work they had started that morning.
The skates he and his friend had caught were crumbled and fried at the end of the day, turning into a salt-and-pepper stripe with the same texture as scallops.
“Look, it’s good, very good, although not good enough to be criticized,” Mr Griffiths admitted.
The stingrays he and his friend had caught were shredded and fried at the end of the day, turning into salt and pepper stingrays.
“No wonder Steve Irwin got taken out by one of these,” Mr Griffiths said after being stung himself.