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Still, how many other people would be swimming that closely above a stingray?
If what I read is correct, the answer is "thousands." Many SCUBA divers and snorkelers swim quite close to stingrays; mishaps are rare. The rays are not considered to be especially dangerous; they only rarely strike at anyone, and then usually when someone actually steps on them. In this case, the cameraman filming Irwin got in front of the ray, which evidently felt cornered, and so struck. This was indeed a very freakish accident.