Whitsundays: Irukandji jellyfish stings man off Hamilton Island
Emergency services have flown a man to hospital after a suspected Irukandji jellyfish sting at Hamilton Island. Read more.
Mackay
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A man has suffered a suspected sting from one of the world’s most venomous jellyfish in the Whitsundays just hours after emergency services were called to extinguish a superyacht fire.
An RACQ CQ Service spokeswoman said an Irukandji is alleged to have stung a 49-year-old man’s foot while he was in ankle-deep water off Cats Eye Beach at Hamilton Island.
She said the man was “not symptomatic”, having walked to the medical centre and then onto the RACQ CQ helicopter for transfer to Mackay Base Hospital as a precautionary measure.
It is the RACQ CQ Service’s first call-out for a jellyfish sting this Spring.
A Mackay Hospital and Health Service spokeswoman said the man arrived at the hospital about 1.30pm and was in a stable condition as of 3.40pm.
The incident follows firefighters being tasked to a superyacht fire within the island’s marina hours earlier.
There have been recent calls for the state government to better protect the public from stingers after a Mackay teenager died from a box jellyfish sting while swimming at Eimeo in February.
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