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Teen Almost Drowns After Being Knocked Unconscious By Stingray, Saved By Timing And A Koozie

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A South Carolina teenager almost drowned in a freak accident involving a stingray.

Levi Dixon, 18, was riding a jet ski Saturday afternoon when a stingray leaped out of the water and knocked him off the jet ski and into the water, according to a report published Tuesday by Island Packet. Dixon works for Sea Monkeys Watersports on Hilton Head Island.

Luckily for Dixon, Tomas McDaniel and Joanna Whipple were boating nearby and saw the accident take place. McDaniel claimed a koozie flew out of their boat and the pair turned around to retrieve it when the stingray leaped out and hit Dixon in the face.

The koozie helped get them to a place to offer aide to Dixon, who was unconscious in the water. The stingray was roughly four feet wide and probably weighed roughly 40 lbs., according to McDaniel. (RELATED: Watch MSC Opera Cruise Ship Crash Into Dock And Smaller Boat In Venice, Italy)

“If that koozie wouldn’t have flown out,” McDaniel told Island Packet. “… It’s a miracle he’s alive.”

Whipple called 911 while McDaniel jumped into the water to keep Dixon afloat while they waited on help. Another boat passed by and they were able to help McDaniel aboard and take him to the EMTs on shore.

Dixon’s incident with the stingray left him with two broken ribs, bruised lungs and swelling of his brain. He was released form Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah on Monday.