Girl, 14, lucky to be alive after she was stung by a Box Jellyfish in Airlie Beach

A fourteen-year-old girl is alive thanks to quick action from her friends after being stung by a deadly Box Jellyfish at a North Queensland beach.

Jessica* (name changed) suffered stings to both of her lower legs. Picture: Supplied

Fourteen-year-old Jessica* had been in the water for just a few moments when she realised something was very wrong.

On December 30, Jessica and her friend were spending some time tanning by the water in Airlie Beach when they decided to go for a dip.

Jessica was wading knee deep when she said she felt a sudden temperature change from very hot to freezing cold, followed by an immense pain.

“It’s such an indescribable feeling,” she said.

“And I was yelling, I was like, I’ve just been stung, you need to call the ambulance.

“Like I need help, like I’m dying, like I’m literally dying.”

Jessica said she was not initially sure what exactly happened to her, but when she looked down at her legs they were purple with tentacles wrapped from her toes all the way up to the tops of her calves.

She had been stung by a deadly Box Jellyfish.

Box Jellyfish under water.

Jessica ran down the beach to her boyfriend and his friends who immediately called an ambulance and began pouring vinegar onto her legs.

“It was such a surreal feeling, it was very immense pain, very painful,” she said.

It was at this point that Jessica called her mum who was shopping nearby.

“She just said, mum, help, I’ve been stung by something,” her mother said.

“I literally just dropped what I was doing, left the trolley of shopping there.

“I hopped straight on the phone to the ambulance as well and they said one had already been called, so we just headed straight down to the new beach.”

Jessica had two green whistles and shots of fentanyl while she was in the ambulance, and doctors at the hospital were surprised she was doing so well upon arrival.

They said they were shocked she was breathing and able to talk.

Jessica was in hospital overnight receiving treatment for the deadly sting.

Both Jessica and her mum are grateful there was vinegar at the beach and that Jessica’s friends acted so quickly, otherwise the outcome could have been much worse.

Box jellyfish stings can be deadly.

The family have lived in the area for about eight years and the mother said she has always made her children aware of stinger season, but unfortunately Jessica, like many, had become complacent.

“We definitely know a lot of people think that way, that you can just pop your feet in or just quickly like that, it’s not going to happen to them, you have to be out further, but Jessica literally was only up to her knees,” her mother said.

“I don’t think people realise how quickly like your life can change,” Jessica said.

Her mother hopes this situation can be a learning experience for people, especially young people like Jessica, and wants to raise awareness around what to do if you or someone you know is stung.

Jessica said at the end of the day she was just happy she survived, knowing that others have not been so lucky.

Surf Lifesaving Queensland instructs people to take the following steps if they see someone had been stung by a Box Jellyfish.

• Remove casualty from water if safe to do so
• DRSABCD
• If casualty has more than one localised single sting or looks/feels unwell, dial triple zero (000) and seek assistance from a lifeguard if available
• Assess casualty and commence CPR immediately if required
• If possible, treat the sting by pouring vinegar for at least 30 seconds and then pick off the tentacles
• If vinegar is not available, pick off tentacles (this is not harmful to the rescuer) and rinse well with sea water. Apply a cold pack or ice in a bag for analgesia
   

*Name has been changed