Emily Chan
With summer coming up and people starting to head out to the beaches, TikToker Torrie Carroll (@torriekcarroll) is talking about her experience being stung by a stingray and what to do if you’re ever stung by one.
She hopes that by sharing her story, she can spread more crucial knowledge about stingrays and help others avoid what she went through.
Last year, Torrie was stung by a stingray at Pensacola Beach. In the video, Torrie can be seen lying on the beach in excruciating pain, surrounded by strangers, with blood pouring from her foot in the immediate aftermath of the stinging.
Torrie also includes pictures of her foot at various stages after being stung. A few hours after encountering the stingray, her ankle was about four times its normal size.
The stingray’s barb went through the side of her foot, punctured straight through to the bottom of her foot, and was then pulled back out by the stingray. The day after she was stung, her whole foot turned black, and she could barely walk.
“When you get stung, not only are you basically getting stabbed because the barb’s going through you, but stingrays also release venom,” explained Torrie.
The venom is what makes the pain so bad. So if you get stung by a stingray, submerge the injured body part into hot water as soon as possible. The water should be as hot as your body can stand.
The hot water fights off the venom. It won’t take away the pain completely, but it reduces it significantly. Plus, the hot water helps you to calm down and get your breathing in check.
Torrie still recommends seeking medical treatment even if you are able to manage the pain successfully. Most people who get stung by stingrays end up with a fragment of the stingray’s barb stuck in their skin.
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