Stingray puts diver in hospital

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A scuba diver was lucky to survive when he was stabbed in the abdomen by a stingray's barb.

The man was diving for crayfish in weeds near Pakatoa Island on Friday when the startled stingray attacked. He was taken to Auckland Hospital by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter where he remains in a serious condition.

Advanced paramedic Chris Deacon said things could have been substantially worse.

The experienced diver and fisherman had been enjoying a day fishing with friends.

"They got a few snapper and he decided to dive for cray," said Deacon. "He was just swimming through the weeds and didn't see the damned thing.

"I can tell you it wasn't as if he tried to do something to this critter."

Paul Morris of website Dive Planet NZ has encountered countless stingrays in his years of diving and said they attack only when they are startled or feel threatened. This is usually because swimmers or divers don't see them.

The animals are peaceful and when they are approached by divers "they just want to move away. They don't go out to bother people".

Swimmers or divers were often stabbed in the leg because they accidentally stood on the animals.

Australian "crocodile hunter" Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray during a diving expedition on the Great Barrier Reef in 2006.