Lisa Schroder tells of box jellyfish sting, kindness of strangers

A woman who was stung by a box jellyfish while in the water off Townsville yesterday has told of the ‘excruciating’ pain, while heaping praise on the complete strangers who came to help.

A WOMAN who was stung by a box jellyfish yesterday has told of the “excruciating” pain while heaping praise on the strangers who came to help.

Lisa Schroder from Belgian Gardens was pad­dle­boarding with her family at Pallarenda on Sunday when she felt a stinging sensation on the top half of her right leg and stomach while in water up to her waist.

She described the pain as “excruciating” and “horrendous” to the point she wanted to vomit as the pain continued intensifying.

The injuries to a woman's leg after she was stung by a box jellyfish at Rowes Bay.

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“I got out and yelled to my husband that I’d been bitten by a jellyfish,” she said.

“He ran to get the bottle of vinegar while I pulled off the tentacles still stuck to me.

“We doused the stings in the vinegar … by this stage I was crying and shaking.”

Mrs Schroder also sustained injuries to her hand while removing the tentacles.

She sent her husband and kids home in his car and attempted to drive home while calling triple-0 through hands-free. But she only made it as far as Rowes Bay carpark.

“I could hardly think (or) talk and was crying out in pain,” Mrs Schroder said.

“A man asked me if I was OK (and) I told him I’d been stung by a jellyfish. He then spoke to the emergency team (and) got more vinegar and waited so kindly with me until the ambulances came.”

Sting

Another couple also phoned triple-0 from the scene, with Mrs Schroder sending out a heartfelt thanks to the complete strangers.

She said she was paddleboarding beside the stinger nets because the enclosure is for swimmers only.

Box jellyfish. Picture: Zak Simmonds

She is expected to make a full recovery.

Originally published as Lisa Schroder tells of box jellyfish sting, kindness of strangers