When Motueka man Michael French staggered from the water with a giant gash in his side, he thought he had been attacked by a shark.
While he was being airlifted to hospital, the authorities shut the beaches and went shark hunting. But it turned out it was a stingray - no less lethal, but in his case a lucky escape.
The attack took place on Saturday afternoon. As beach goers rushed to his aide, the pain brought Mr French to his knees.
"I was just writhing," he says. "It was just so intense."
The ray's barb was like a serrated dagger stabbing poison into Mr French's body.
Mr French is the fourth victim of a stingray stab in the last two months and with an increase in rays in New Zealand waters, it is likely there will be more attacks to come.