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A Hawke’s Bay fisherman was left critically injured after being attacked by a stingray as he stood on in knee-deep water.

A few weeks ago, Eli Carroll was wading out to sea with a friend at Owahanga, 40 minutes south of Pongaroa in the Tararua District, to drop some crayfish pots.

“I knew straight away I’d stood on something as I felt the vibration under my feet. Next thing I knew, this huge tail came whipping out of the water, hitting me hard in my thighs. I knew at that point that I was in big trouble.”

The first stroke of the ray’s serrated tail left a 10cme-long laceration in Carroll’s right upper thigh, before seconds later it struck his left leg, snapping its barb off and leaving it embedded.

He immediately knew he would need to call the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter for help.

“The first thing I thought was ‘I need to get to shore and call the helicopter, fast’.”

He said were in a remote location and he could feel himself “fading”, and as he saw the water filling with blood, he wondered if he would be awake long enough to speak to the paramedic.

Carroll said he buckled over before friend Paul dragged him to a nearby buggy out of the water where he drove him to higher ground.

“I was in complete shock until the helicopter arrived.”

Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter critical care flight paramedic Heath Gillot treated Carroll, who was alert and bleeding from both legs at the scene.

Gillot said Carroll had a large gash to the right inner thigh near the groin and the 11cm barb from the stingray was protruding from the inner left side of his leg.

“Both injuries to the legs appeared to have narrowly missed Eli’s femoral artery and we were unable to determine the depth of the barb that was lodged in his left leg.”

The fisherman felt the vibration under his feet before the 11cm barb pierced his leg.

Carroll was airlifted by the rescue helicopter to the nearest facility at Palmerston North Hospital in 18 minutes, where he underwent emergency surgery to remove the barb.

“Had the delay been more significant, I believe that Eli might not have had such a favourable outcome,” said Gillot.

“In addition, the location of his injuries were mere millimetres from major vessels and organs that could have significantly impacted his survival.

Carroll said the helicopter crew were “amazing”.

“Considering where we were located I honestly didn’t think they’d get there that fast.

“If we had been 100m further down the beach I could have died as cellphone reception is so patchy,” Carroll said.

It is not the first near-miss Carroll has had.

“About a year ago my fishing kayak flipped paddling out to Somes Island in the Wellington Harbour. I was metres from the current taking me out to Cook Strait and was rescued by the Coastguard.

It's not the first time Eli Carroll has been in a fight for his life involving water.

“Then only a few months ago my truck left the road and flipped into a creek upside down. I had to push the window out and swim to safety with a fractured rib. I’ve bought a few Lotto tickets lately, but I’m obviously not lucky enough to win.”

The contract builder said he was now looking for something extra to do and wasn’t ruling out volunteering for the rescue helicopter.

“I’ve signed up to install fire alarms in Dannevirke and become a volunteer firefighter. One day I’d like to give back through volunteering for the helicopter.”

As for fishing and going back in the ocean, he said he would look where he was standing and would avoid murky water.

“It was just a case of ‘wrong place wrong time’, mixed with a bit of carelessness – it hasn’t put me off. I was back in the water a few days later.”

- Hawkes Bay Today