Barbary Coast Divers

Since Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin died of a sting ray barb to his chest, operators taking tourists to Grand Cayman's Stingray City have reported a 40% drop in business.

Now, rays are even more in the news. In early October, an eagle ray jumped into a boat of an 82-year-old Florida retiree and when he tried to throw it back the barb pierced hischest. Officials in Miami classified the incident as ‘just a real freak thing’ which occurred on Florida’s Intra-costal waterway, where stingrays are rarely seen leaping into the air.

The elderly Florida man was stabbed through the heart by a stingray survived an almost identical wound to the one that killed Steve Irwin because the venomous barb stayed inside his body, says the surgeon who removed it.

But the barb was left in the chest of 82-year-old retiree James Bertakis after he was stung on Wednesday afternoon.

Cardiovascular surgeon Dr Eugene Constantini, from Florida's Broward General Medical Centre, said his team was able to gently remove the barbed tail and repair damage to Mr Bertakis' heart.

"We pulled it through just like a fish hook," Dr Constantini explained yesterday.

Pulling it out through the entry wound - like Irwin did - would have caused further damage to the heart, he added.

Mr Bertakis, a Detroit businessman who retired to Florida's Lighthouse Point, was steering his boat through an inlet when a spotted eagle stingray leapt out of the water and into the boat. Mr Bertakis had picked up the ray to throw it out of the boat when its barb pierced his chest.

Mark Corcoran, a marine biologist who studied spotted eagle stingrays for two years and now works at Florida's Lighthouse Point, says that the area's stingrays often jumped out of the water.

"It's common behaviour," he said. "I've seen them do it when they are being pursued by predators like tiger sharks -- they porpoise out of the water, almost like a penguin or seal.

"They jump when they're frightened by a boat passing above them, and I've seen them jump when I've been swimming with them," Mr Corcoran said. Irwin is reported to have instinctively removed the barb just before he died on September 4.

Honourable Charles Clifford, Cayman Islands Tourism Minister has vowed to make Stingray City safer

The Cayman government expects to toughen its regulations on Stingray City boat operators and has issued cautions about feeding moray eels. Yet, Cayman Net News reports that many operators have ignored those rules. On October 11 a dive guide named Chester from Captain Marvin's was seriously injured when a large green moray attacked him while he was playing snake charmer for two young girl tourists.

Scubapro® Recalls MK 20 Scuba Regulators for Service

The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Hazard: Over-tightening of the Yoke or Din retainer during annual servicing of these regulators could result in a stress crack and failure of the regulator. If this occurs during a dive, air supply could be interrupted, posing a drowning hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: No injuries or underwater incidents have been reported. Scubapro® USA has received eight reports of units that failed after being serviced.

Description: The recall involves first stage regulators that are marked with the Scubapro brand and identified as the MK20.

Sold at: Authorized Scubapro® dealers nationwide from January 1996 through December 2001 for about $260.

Remedy: Scubapro® USA has been providing a service upgrade kit via the authorized dealer network since May 2005 which contains a Yoke or Din retainer that prohibits over-tightening during annual service. Consumers can easily identify if the service upgrade has been completed by counting the vents on the plastic saddle located on the regulator. If the service upgrade has not been completed, the consumer should bring the regulator to any authorized Scubapro® dealer to have the service upgrade completed free of charge.

Consumer Contact: For assistance in locating the nearest authorized Scubapro® dealer or for more information, contact Scubapro® USA toll-free at (800) 731-6685 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or go to the firm’s Web site at www.scubapro-uwatec.com

They also had another recall back in June. Here's a website of SCUBA related recalls.

Stingray City, Grand Cayman: November 1, 2006

Scubapro® Recalls MK 20 Scuba Regulators for Service