Medical experts and surf lifesaving crews remind Territorians to stay out of the sea this stinger season

Territorians are being urged to stay out of the ocean, even shallow water and receding tides, as deadly jellyfish return to our waters. See a list of the deadly incidents involving jellyfish.

Stinger season is back. Medical professionals and surf lifesaving crews are urging Territorians to be vigilant, and avoid the water where possible from October until May.

Royal Darwin Hospital and Menzies School of Health Research Professor in Medicine Bart Currie said this Saturday marked the first day it was vital to keep out of Top End coastal waters.

“It’s really important to not go in the ocean and keep children out of water — no entering from Saturday,” he said.

Even a walk in the shallows is out of the question.

“They are often in the shallows when its calm and they could also be stranded in a divot in the sand,” he said.

Bart Currie said preventing getting stung was the most important thing this stinger season. Picture: Che Chorley

“We have people stung literally as soon as they walked in the water or when hey walked or run through a puddle of seawater on the beach.”

Professor Currie said there was advice for people who had to enter the water, including boaties.

“We recommend for people launching boat that if they don’t have stinger suit then wear protective clothing such as long trousers — just make sure there is no exposed skin,” he said.

He said children were most at risk of potentially fatal outcomes because of their size, but immediate first aid could be the difference between life and death.

“Remove the person from the water if they’re still in the water, call for help, assess the person and start CPR as needed,” he said.

“Then pour vinegar over the area of the sting which stops any further discharge from the tentacles of the sting.”

Fresh water and urine were not recommended as treatments to the affected area.

A box jellyfish sting was also known to turn fatal within 20 minutes of the incident which is why preventing getting stung in the first place was incredibly important.

“The invenoming process that happens after tentacle contact is the most rapid invenoming process in the natural world,” Professor Currie said.

Surfers are reminded to suit up if they are going in the ocean from now until May. Picture: Floss Adams.

Surf Lifesaving NT chief executive Samantha Farrow said their crews would be out in force for the next few weeks to remind people of the danger.

“Our patrols will run this weekend but under a closed flag,” she said.

“They are purely there for surveillance to start education over the next two weeks that stinger season is here.”

She said their advice lined up with what the medics were calling for.

“Basically our advice is not to get in the water,” she said.

“If you have to get in the water you should be wearing protection and have vinegar with you

and make sure you don’t swim alone.”

As the monsoons begin to roll through the Top End, Ms Farrow said the adrenaline junkies would be taking to the water to kiteboard and surf.

She also said that compliance to the advice had improved in recent year.

“They’re definitely getting better,” she said.

“We’re seeing a big shift in regular kite boarders and stand-up paddle boarders being a little bit more conscience of the safety aspects.

“The biggest thing we find is the people who are new to Darwin — they don’t understand the risk to our waterways.”

Each year about 40 people present to Top End hospitals and health clinics with jellyfish stings.

In 2021 there were two major incidents involving jellyfish stings — one was a 44-year-old man who was swimming in Lee Point beach and the other a six-year-old girl swimming at Ski Beach near Nhulunbuy.

RECENT FATAL JELLYFISH STINGS IN AUSTRALIA

The most recent fatality from a box jellyfish in Australia happened in February 2022.

A 14-year-old boy died after being stung on Eimeo Beach in Mackay.

A 17-year-old Queensland boy also died after being stung while fishing on Cape York in March 2021.

There are also reports two French tourists were stung by Irukndiji jellyfish when they died while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef.

Their death is not a confirmed jellyfish fatality.

The last fatality in the Northern Territory was in 2007, when a six-year-old boy from a remote community was stung by a box jellyfish.