Tourist dives face first into a deadly jellyfish

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Brian and team, who work for a digital marketing agency run this Digital Crosstalk blog.
Occasionally we might blog about companies and people we work with but for the most part we'll simply be blogging about stories and events which we find interesting.

4th
DEC

Peanut-sized Jellyfish puts tourist in hospital

Posted by Brian | Filed under tourism

: Image by orangejack via Flickr

There is an age-old adage which states: ‘Look before you leap’ and perhaps it is a lesson which an un-named tourist in Australia should have adhered to.

The tourist, who had been sailing off the north-eastern coast of the country dived face first into a small, but potentially deadly Irukandji jellyfish with a potent sting said to rival the pain of childbirth.

Despite being kitted out in a full-length protective stinger suit, the jellyfish – which is the size of a peanut – managed to find and sting his uncovered face as he jumped from his yacht into the water.

The incident happened near South Molle Island, in Queensland’s popular Whitsunday Islands on Thursday.

The jellyfish is extremely difficult to see in the ocean, but is common enough throughout the waters around the coast and tourism officials advise people not to swim in the water, or wear stinger suits for protection. In this case, however, the latter advice wasn’t enough.

The man was pulled back on to the tour boat suffering excruciating pain and was transported to the island where, shivering and in shock, he was given first aid by medics. However, he then had to endure a 40 minute wait before a rescue helicopter could transfer him to a hospital at Mackay on the mainland, where he remained in intensive care.