Sting Ray Encounter

On Monday, July 29, 2024, I found myself enjoying a swim at a secluded beach near Santa Barbara, specifically located just a half mile to the south of the Goleta Beach pier. Access to this beach involves crossing a slough that reaches waist-deep water. While it's possible to come from the south during low tide via More Mesa Beach, the route is hard to find and entails a lengthy walk from legally designated parking areas. Due to these challenges, few people are willing to make the trek, which makes this beach quite private yet conveniently situated close to town.

As I emerged from a lovely swim in the ocean, standing in water that rose to my knees, I suddenly experienced a sharp pain in my right foot, as if something had pierced it. The churning waves created a foamy barrier that obscured my view of what might have caused the pain.

Once I reached dry ground, I could see that my foot was bleeding, likely due to a puncture wound. At that moment, I had no idea what had caused the injury; my immediate priority was to return to the safety of familiar surroundings. For about ten minutes as I walked in the shallow water, I believed that the saltwater might help to cleanse the wound and assist in healing. Though I wasn't sure if this was the best decision, it was the path I chose to take.

By the time I made it to Goleta Beach, roughly thirty minutes later, the bleeding had subsided, and the pain was manageable. Curiosity about the incident grew in me, so I approached the first lifeguard tower, which was unoccupied, then made my way to the second tower. I managed to catch the attention of a lifeguard and recounted my experience. Without hesitation, he claimed, 'You've been stung by a stingray.'

The lifeguard reacted with more concern than I had. Although I mentioned that I could ride my bicycle back to where I was staying, he insisted that I take a seat in a folding chair by his tower. He quickly notified someone via radio to report the stingray sting. Soon after, two beach staff members, likely park rangers, arrived. The lifeguard then requested one of them to fetch some hot water.

While sitting there receiving attention, the pain in my foot began to escalate substantially. About five minutes later, a ranger returned carrying a thick mylar bag filled with steaming hot water. The lifeguard instructed me to immerse my foot in it, but the water was scalding. We mixed in some drinking water until the temperature became bearable.

The lifeguard advised me to arrange for someone to transport me for medical help, expressing concern that the sting might still be lodged under my skin. I argued that I could cycle back to my accommodations, but he firmly dismissed that idea, warning that I might not make it safely and could end up in an accident. He recounted a story about a woman who, after being stung, attempted to drive herself to the hospital but ended up in a crash.

I relayed my wife's phone number, and she promptly came to pick me up. By the time she arrived, the pain had escalated to an unprecedented level. It felt like a surge of agony not only in my foot but radiating throughout my entire body, particularly in my hands and feet. One of the rangers kindly transported me in a golf cart to our car. Before we left, I expressed my gratitude to them for their exceptional care. From there, we headed to an urgent care facility at Cottage Hospital in Goleta.

Upon arrival, there was just one other patient in the waiting area. She graciously allowed me to be attended to before her when she realized the reason for my visit. Initially, the nurse placed my foot in a basin filled with hot water, then took three X-rays to determine if any remnants of the stinger remained. Thankfully, it seemed that none were visible.

The nurse proceeded to apply two heating packs to my foot and wrapped it securely. She instructed me to keep the area clean for a couple of days. After we got back to where we were staying, I took a much-needed nap.

Upon waking, I began to feel significantly better. Earlier, the lifeguard had mentioned that the pain typically lingers for about four hours, a timeline that aligned with my own experience. After such a dramatic and painful episode, it felt both strange and reassuring to return to normalcy so quickly.

The following day, I received a thoughtful phone call from the same nurse checking on my recovery. I assured her that I was feeling much improved. In the days that followed, I noticed some swelling around the puncture site, with occasional soreness when I walked. I would estimate that I could still detect the sting for about a week, but it was faint and only noticeable during physical activity. Beyond taking it easy the next day, my week continued with beach runs and stand-up paddleboarding, similar to my usual routines. However, I decided to avoid swimming again. The lifeguard at Goleta Beach had informed me that they see one or two stingray incidents each week, so I figured it wasn’t worth the risk.

Approximately two weeks post-incident, I received a lovely handwritten note from the nurse at the Goleta Urgent Care. Such a gesture is something you would never expect in Las Vegas.

To conclude, I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who assisted me: the lifeguard, the two rangers, the nurse at urgent care, and my wife. I'm thankful that when I required medical assistance, it was in California rather than Nevada.

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Now, let’s shift our focus to the puzzle section of the newsletter. I would like to remind you about the puzzle from last week.

September 5, 2024 Puzzle Question

Imagine you have 25 horses set to race on a track that allows five horses to compete at a time. The only information you gather from each race is the order of the top five finishers. You don't have a timer to gauge their speed. Each horse consistently runs at its own constant pace. What is the minimum number of races needed to identify the top three horses in order, and what is the method to achieve this?

September 5, 2024 Puzzle Answer:

The task requires seven races. Here's the systematic approach.

First, split the horses into five distinct groups. In the initial five races, have all five horses from each group race. Make sure to record the finishing order of the top three horses. We will refer to these first five races as the 'first round.'

Next, in the sixth race, have the winners from each of the first five races compete against each other again. Document the outcomes for the top three finishers.

At this point, we will be able to identify the fastest horse. However, it is possible that the second and/or third fastest horses might have lost to the fastest one in the first round. Additionally, it’s possible that the horse placing third lost to the one finishing second in that round.

In the seventh race, we will race these horses:

Second place from race 6

Third place from race 6

The horse that came in second during the first round of the winning horse.

The horse that finished third in the first round of the winning horse.

The horse that took second from the first round of the second-place horse from race six.

The results of the seventh race will reveal the identities of the second and third fastest horses.

September 12, 2024 Puzzle Question

Three logicians are napping beneath a tree when a playful boy draws smiley faces on each of their foreheads. Upon waking, the logicians immediately notice that the other two have smiley faces but cannot see their own. After a few moments, they all stop laughing, having concluded that they too must have been drawn on.