176 people stung by stingrays in one day in Huntington Beach

A record number of swimmers were stung by stingrays Saturday in Huntington Beach, authorities said.

Officials said 176 people were injured by the creatures. The warm weather sent a large number of people to the water, contributing to the surge in the number of stings.

With a shift in weather conditions, only a few stingray injuries were reported Sunday.

The Huntington Beach Fire Department issued warnings throughout the weekend, said Lt. Eric Dieterman of the Marine Safety Division.

“We get out a pretty aggressive public safety campaign ... advising folks to stay out of the water if possible,” he said.

Lifeguards were on standby to treat injured swimmers by soaking puncture wounds, usually on the feet, to relieve the pain.

Schools of rays, also known as “fevers,” are usually found in shallow coastal waters in temperate areas. They spend most of their time partially buried in the sand, typically moving with the sway of the sea.

Lee Perkins, a Huntington Beach resident who was stung two weeks ago, said he accidentally brushed against a stingray and felt its tail puncture him.

“It’s definitely a searing nerve pain and it’s pretty intense,” Perkins said.

His injury later developed into a severe infection. Perkins said his 10-year-old son was swimming with him that day but wasn’t hurt.

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