Victorian tourist suffers heart failure following Irukandji jellyfish sting

A TOURIST has had to spend two days in intensive care after she was stung by an Irukandji jellyfish and suffered heart failure.

Ayllie White, 39, was stung by an Irukandji jellyfish while snorkelling off Fitzroy Island. Picture: Stewart Mclean

A TOURIST had heart failure and spent two days in intensive care at Cairns Hospital after she was stung by an Irukandji jellyfish.

Victoria’s Ayllie White, 39, was stung by one of the potentially deadly creatures while snorkelling off Fitzroy Island with her husband on Friday.

She said she felt something brush up against her neck in the water. She was wearing a full-body stinger suit.

“All of a sudden, I felt what I thought was sea mites and a tingling sensation,” she said.

“Five minutes later, I got this searing pain across my neck. And then quite quickly after that, the other symptoms which were much scarier were just really heavy limbs, struggling to breathe and a tightness across my chest.”

Ms White swam to shore, receiving first aid treatment at the island resort. A helicopter flew her to hospital, where her condition deteriorated, and she experienced heart failure.

Doctors diagnosed her with takotsubo cardiomyopathy (broken heart syndrome), a weakening of the left ventricle.

Ms White was in intensive care for two days, but made a quick recovery.

Up to 20 people a year receive treatment for marine stings at Cairns Hospital. Irukandji jellyfish are the size of a thumbnail.

Originally published as Victorian tourist suffers heart failure following Irukandji jellyfish sting