Mackay jellyfish death spurs push for Queensland management plan

Following the tragic death of Mark Ligmayo at Eimeo Beach, the council backed a push for a more comprehensive look at the stinger threat. Here’s what happened.

The fallout from Mark Ligmayo’s tragic death at Eimeo is behind a new push to force the Queensland government to better protect the public from jellyfish stingers.

The council has voted unanimously to call for a state-funded stinger management plan and Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson said more research and education would form the heart of the plan.

“It certainly comes as a result of that tragic death from Eimeo,” he said.

Mark Ligmayo and Mackay mayor Greg Williamson

“The fallout from that has been that we don’t know a lot about these marine animals.”

Mr Williamson said much about the behaviour of the deadly box jellyfish remained mysterious, including where they migrate from.

“They swim at four knots against the current,” he said.

“I never knew that before that happened.

“There is a lot that the public don’t know about.”

Fourteen-year-old Mark died hours after collapsing on the sand with his legs covered in deadly tentacles on Eimeo Beach on February 26 this year.

Flowers left at the base of a red flag at Eimeo Beach closed after 14-year-old boy Mark Angelo Ligmayo was stung by a box jellyfish on Saturday, February 26, 2022. He died at Mackay Base Hospital. Picture: Tara Miko

Just 15 minutes earlier, surf lifesavers had dragged the waters for stingers.

Mr Williamson said a “much larger discussion” around the threat should be funded by the state.

“They have been very quiet on stinger control,” he said.

“And one might be cynical and say that that is because stingers don’t happen in the Southeastern part of Queensland.

“They certainly do happen in our area and in the tropical areas.

“So we would like to see more focus from the state on stinger control, stinger management, stinger outcomes.”

The family of Eimeo fatal box jellyfish sting victim Mark Angelo Ligmayo. Father Nick Guinumtad, mother Agnes Guinumtad and sister Nickole Guinumtad. Picture: Lillian Watkins

Council documents state the council has worked “very closely” with regional surf life saving clubs, Surf Life Saving Queensland, and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland about ways to protect the public while keeping beaches open to swimmers.

“From these discussions a point that has been identified is that jellyfish stingers do not have the same focus from the Queensland state government as other natural risks such as crocodiles,” council documents state.

The motion will now be put to the LGAQ conference on October 17-19.

Mr Ligmayo’s mother, Agnes Guinumtad, who witnessed her son stumbling out of the water on that fateful day, said she had “kept praying and praying” for him to “say something”.

More than 30 litres of vinegar was poured on the teenager’s legs and arm to try save his life, but Mark quickly slipped into cardiac arrest as Eimeo Surf Life Saving Club experienced member Ross Gee performed first aid.

Mark’s dad, Nick Guinumtad, said it was hard to see his son dying in front of him.

“It’s not the first time we went swimming (at the beach),” Mr Guinumtad said.

“We were there when they swept the beach. I thought they were sweeping it for some dirt or dry leaves, I didn’t know it was for jellyfish.”

Jellyfish and stingers along Australia’s coastline not only take their toll on human lives but also the economy, with a recent Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine study estimating the Irukandji box jellyfish alone costs the Australian government about $3 billion each year in tourism losses and medical costs.