Teenager dies after being stung by one of the world’s deadliest sea creatures while fishing – as parents are urged to keep their kids out of the water
- A 17-year-old boy has died after being stung by a box jelly fish in Queensland
- The teenager was stung by the jellyfish while out fishing in Cape York on Friday
- He was taken to Townsville Hospital for treatment but later died on Monday
A teenager has died after being stung by a box jelly fish while fishing in Queensland.
The 17-year-old boy from Bamaga, in Far North Queensland, was stung by the venomous jelly fish at Patterson’s Point on Cape York on Friday.
He was rushed to Townsville Hospital but died on Monday.
The tragic death has seen the local council issue a warning to both locals and visitors to stay out of the water during the stinger season – which runs from October to May.
The box jellyfish is a deadly threat to all swimmers off the Queensland coast north of Gladstone.
‘We cannot stress enough on how important it is to keep your children away from the water,’ the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council said in a statement.
A teenager has died after being stung by a box jelly fish while fishing in Queensland (pictured: stock image of a box jelly fish)
The boy was taken to Townsville Hospital (pictured) but later died on Monday following the incident
Box jellyfish are cube shaped with tentacles that can grow to three metres.
A sting from one can kill a swimmer before they reach the shore.
Box jellyfish can also swim without having to rely on currents like other jellyfish, and have clusters of eyes on each side.
There are about 50 species of box jellyfish, but only a few have venom that can kill humans. Those species of jellyfish – also known as sea wasps – are considered one of the deadliest marine creatures in the world.
Police will now prepare a report on the boy’s death for the coroner.
The Box Jellyfish
The box jellyfish is distinguished by its cube-shaped appearance and extremely potent venom
- Distinguished by its cube-shaped appearance and is nearly invisible underwater
- Produces extremely potent venom considered to be among the most deadly in the world, containing toxins that attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells and can cause cardiac arrest in humans
- Human victims have been known to go into shock and drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore
- Found in the temperate coastal waters off Northern Australia and throughout the Indo-Pacific
- Tentacles can reach up to 3m in length
- Unlike most jellyfish they have developed the ability to move rather than just drift
- The box jellyfish are Carnivores and have 24 eyes and four brains
Source: National Geographic