K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, off the coast of Queensland, is home to six alleged Irukandji jellyfish sting victims who have suffered injuries in just four days.
Among those patients were a youngster on holiday with his family who lost feeling in his legs and a baby girl who had to be evacuated to Hervey Bay Hospital.
Tenzin, age eight, was having fun in the sea on K’gari when he started to scream in agony.
“It felt like he was being stung from the inside and then within maybe five minutes he said he was complaining of chest pain and at that point, I was extremely worried,” Kristy Te Mana, his mother, said.
He claimed he couldn’t feel his legs and began to throw up.
Three little red spots that appeared to be the stings were found on one of them.
“It was pretty scary, and I just tried to remain calm,” Te Mana stated.
On K’gari since Saturday, Tenzin is one of six patients who may have been stung by an Irukandji.
West coast of the island was where most were.
After being stung yesterday at Awinya Creek, a baby girl was taken to Hervey Bay Hospital in a stable condition, accompanied by her parent, by paramedics.
Emergency services were sent to the same spot just two hours prior after another man there appeared to have been stung by an Irukandji.
He was sent to Hervey Bay Hospital via helicopter as well.
In the same spot today, a teenage girl got stung on the hand.
From Bundaberg in Queensland to Geraldton in Western Australia, the northern waters are home to the exceedingly venomous, tiny, and uncommon Irukandji box jellyfish.
The north and far north of Queensland are the areas where it is most frequent in more tropical seas, but experts think they may be riding the so-called east Australian current southward.
According to Griffith University Professor Kylie Pitt, “that could potentially be a bit of a highway that could distribute some of those species from the northern part of Queensland into the southern waters.”
In light of concerns that climate change may force the jellyfish even further south, scientists are pleading for increased funding and have urged visitors to K’gari not to swim in the area.
A dingo that bit two kids and committed other crimes was put to death today on K’gari as well.
