Five beachgoers wading in knee-deep water off Pacific Beach felt a sharp, sudden pain in their feet within about two hours of each other, part of a surge that has pushed the neighborhood’s stingray sting count past the totals recorded in each of the previous two years. Alba, Lou, Eva, Brandon and Alex all ended up soaking their feet in hot water at the Pacific Beach lifeguard station after the encounters, comparing notes on a sting that, for some, was far more painful than others.
According to CBS 8, Alba rated her pain a nine out of 10, while Eva, stung the same day, put hers at a three. Another beachgoer, Bulka, said the pain traveled from his foot all the way up to his hip. Brandon told the outlet he felt less alone once he realized several other people around him had been stung that same afternoon. Lou, taking the whole ordeal in stride, said he would rather be stung than serve as chum.
Lifeguards treated around 40 people for stingray injuries on the day the group was stung, per the same CBS 8 report, and the station’s account describes lifeguards having treated hundreds of beachgoers for stings this year. Marine Safety Lt. Charlie Knight said anyone stung should head straight to the nearest lifeguard tower, where the recommended treatment is soaking the affected foot in tolerably hot water for 45 minutes to an hour.
A Three-Year Climb Toward a Record Year
The numbers back up what lifeguards are seeing on the sand. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department data cited by CBS 8 recorded 396 stingray injuries in Pacific Beach from January through the end of August 2026 alone, and the neighborhood’s full count for the year has already exceeded the prior full-year total by 60 and the 2024 total by 68. As reported by Times of San Diego, Pacific Beach had the highest number of stings reported to lifeguards so far this year of any beach citywide, with those figures covering the stretch south of the pier from Crystal Pier to Mission Beach…