Man stung by stingray dies off Tasmania coast

A 42-year old man died from cardiac arrest Saturday off the coast of Tasmania, apparently after being stung by a stingray, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

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The man was swimming east of Hobart, the television station reported. Attempts to revive the man were unsuccessful, the BBC reported.

While stingrays are not considered dangerous and attacks are rare, one killed Australian conservationist and television star Steve Irwin in 2006, according to the BBC.

The victim, who was not named, "was removed from the water by friends prior to the arrival of emergency services," The Guardian reported, citing a statement from Tasmanian police. "It was reported he was unaccompanied in the water at the time of sustaining a puncture wound to his lower abdomen."

The Australian Museum lists the smooth stingray species as "not aggressive and is often observed by divers," the ABC reported.

"It usually has one venomous spine (the sting) halfway along the tail which is capable of inflicting severe or potentially fatal wounds. This species is sometimes observed raising its tail above its back like a scorpion," the network reported, citing the museum’s website.

Cox Media Group