Swedish tourist killed by box jellyfish

[zubber]

Alarm as Box Jellyfish Kills Tourist on Langkawi

By Alan Morison
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Today's Phuketwan Updating Report

THE DEATH of a Swedish tourist on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, apparently from a box jellyfish sting, has heightened concerns about swimmers' safety throughout the region.

Swedish media reports have focused on the death, which is likely to alarm some visitors to Malaysia and Thailand.

Carina Lofgren, 45, died a horrible death in just five seconds, according to reports from Pantai Cenang, a beach resort on Langkawi.

The Swedish Embassy in Kuaka Lumpur confirmed today to Phuketwan the circumstances of the woman's death.

Aftonbladet, one of Sweden's most popular newspapers, reported that Mrs Lofgren was enjoying a farewell swim with her husband, Ronny, when the jellyfish wrapped its tentacles around her.

The couple had been taking a holiday in Thailand and Malaysia, renting an apartment on Langkawi close to the water, with Ronny's sister and her husband.

The newspaper reported that the four went for a late-night swim, then: Carina's voice suddenly cut like a knife through the night.

Her husband was quoted as saying: ''She screamed like a stuck pig and started pulling on my legs. Then we realised that it was a jellyfish of some sort. We tried to pull the tentacles away.

''It took four or five seconds, then she sank down, lifeless.''

They carried Carina to the beach, the newspaper reported, where. Ronny's brother, who had worked as an ambulance medic, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

''He did CPR on her, maybe for four or five minutes. Then I took over. But I knew at once that she could not be saved. She died in my arms,'' Ronny told Aftonbladet.

Paramedics arrived after 15 minutes. ''One of them said, 'Oh, jellyfish,' and shook his head. They tried to revive her, then they shook their heads again.''

A week earlier, a German woman had been stung on the beach, the Swedish tourists were told. Yet there were no warning signs, the newspaper reported.

''They are clearly afraid of losing tourists. I would not ever swim in the ocean down there again,'' the dead woman's husband is quoted as saying.

The couple have two adult children and later in February would have marked their 26th anniversary, Aftonbladet reported.

According to Swedish marine biologist Lars Henroth, the woman was probably stung by a box jellyfish, named for their cube-shaped body. Box jellyfish have the reputation for being the most toxic creatures on earth.

The Phuket Marine Biology Centre has led the way in researching all jellyfish in the region, noting that instances of contacts with box jellyfish appear to be increasing.

A young Swedish tourist died from box jellyfish stings off Koh Lanta in Krabi in April, 2008.

Resorts and lifeguards around the Andaman region now keep vinegar handy. Vinegar is the only known treatment for jellyfish stings.

While smaller varieties of box jellyfish have been discovered at a bay on Phuket's east coast, there have been no confirmed sightings at Phuket's popular west coast beaches.

Experts in Australia, where the deadly ''boxie'' has rapidly enlarged its territory, believe it is probably only a matter of time before sightings are made on the Andaman coast.

Jellyfish everywhere are increasing in number, possibly in response to overfishing and the retreat of natural predators, including turtles.

Several seminars on jellyfish were held on Phuket last year and another is scheduled for later this month.

[Bobcock]

Vinegar is the only known treatment for jellyfish stings.

Not quite true. I have a laminated set of instructions produced by an expert on the subject and (I can't put my hand on it now) it recommends ammonia solution as the optimum solution.

There was a documentary on these things on Animal planet the other day, quite interesting, I wouldn't wanna touch one of them.

They are in more tropical waters than people realise, they have recorded deaths in pretty much every location in the tropics.

They called them Irukanji or something, tiny things that were the worst of the various types.

[dirtydog]

Phuket Box Jellyfish (Phuket : Box Jellyfish), got everything you wanted to know about Irukandji there.

[dirtydog]

[robuzo]

"All three survive the unorthodox experiment, and Dr. Barnes is hospitalized again after a severe beating at the hands of his son and the lifeguard."

Really scary, didn't realize they were showing up in Flawda, too.

Read the following here: Irukandji Jellyfish. Carukia barnesi
"No definitive treatment is currently available for the Irukandji syndrome. The Australian Venom Research Unit is currently involved in research to develop an antivenom to treat Irukandji envenomation. "

Let's hope they succeed.

[dirtydog]

The Australian Venom Research Unit is currently involved in research to develop an antivenom to treat Irukandji envenomation. "

Do you think it would have done any good

Her husband was quoted as saying: ''She screamed like a stuck pig and started pulling on my legs. Then we realised that it was a jellyfish of some sort. We tried to pull the tentacles away. ''It took four or five seconds, then she sank down, lifeless.''

[The Gentleman Scamp]

''boxie''

For fucks sake.

[melvbot]

"A horrible death in 5 seconds"

at least it was quick

[robuzo]

I expect an antivenin would do a lot of good if one were developed for the irukanji. From what the video tells us the suffering from an irukanji sting can last for weeks, ample time to apply antivenin.

There is antivenin for box jellyfish stings, and the symptoms of that sting are apparently quite different from that of the irukanji. The box jellyfish sting supposedly causes immediate excruciating pain, causing the shock that causes drowning. The sting of the irukanji is not too noticeable at first, and followed by a headache and pain/cramps later. If someone can stop the box jelly victim from drowning an antivenin would surely help.

[nedwalk]

hot/warm water also helps ...if none at hand, piss on the tenticles to help remove them rather than brush off..just another of the nasty little bastards we had to grow up with as kids

[baldrick]

They called them Irukanji or something, tiny things that were the worst of the various types.

Irukanji can leap up to 25 meters out of the sea

Jellyfish stings fisherman '25 metres above sea' | The Daily Telegraph



they can also become attached to your fishing line as you reel it in - a few people have suffered stings in this manner.

[Mr R Sole]

Carina Lofgren, 45, died a horrible death in just five seconds

5 seconds ain't very long, however if you've ever been in a road time goes very slowly...so 5 seconds can feel like forever.
Compared to other ways to go...not that dying in excruciating pain is a good way to go...

Paramedics arrived after 15 minutes. ''One of them said, 'Oh, jellyfish,' and shook his head. They tried to revive her, then they shook their heads again.''

Obviously they had parkinsons disease??? all the head shaking...

Box jellyfish have the reputation for being the most toxic creatures on earth.

The Irukandji is the worst of the lost with somethng like 300 times the venom potency of it's larger cousin....nasty little bugger..the size of your thumb nail....

[QUOTE="zubber"]Jellyfish everywhere are increasing in number, possibly in response to overfishing and the retreat of natural predators, including turtles.[QUOTE]

So we've caused it ourselves then????!!!!!!! If we weren't so greedy and intent on flooding the planet with our destructive specie then these little critters wouldn't be such a problem...

There was a documentary on these things on Animal planet the other day, quite interesting, I wouldn't wanna touch one of them.

I thought it was NGC..the wife and I watched it together...when the Doc and his assistant got stung that was some nasty shit...Morphined out of their minds and still the pain was phenomenal....the lady was much worse than the man.. just horrid to watch...and only the size of your thumb!!!! excluding tentacles of course..

They called them Irukanji or something, tiny things that were the worst of the various types.

Exactly, the lager one can grow to the size of a basketball with tentacles upto 15ft!!!!!!
The little bastard that whacks you hardest the 'Irukandji' is the size of your thumb....how the hell are you gonna possibly see that in the water..the buggers are even getting through the jellyfish barriers on the beaches cause they are that small..

Do you think it would have done any good

sadly unlikely...poor lady...

hot/warm water also helps

apparently not according to the NGC program and the doctor..

piss on the tenticles to help remove them rather than brush off.

I think I would be too worried about the pain to flop me cock out!!! streuth blue..

As you can see from the pic, these bleeders ain't small..
and the wounds are very nasty..
you can pick them up but just don't touch the tentacles...EVER!!!

The Irukandji on the other hand...IS..

Just look at the size of that in comparison to the larger one above...what chance do you stand, really. Also with such higher potency of venom...truely a frightening prospect...

I live in Trang (that ain't that far away from Langkwai..the again the buggers are already near and around Phukers!!) my child loves to play in the shallows...and so do all species of box jellyfish!!!!

Worrying stuff...how long would a 15mth old child last...and I doubt the hospital near the beach would have a clue...

[Mr R Sole]

Oh and by the way Box jellyfish are the only jellyfish that can actually swim and direct themselves. Also 'Boxies' have 24 sets of eyes...."all the better for seeing you with"


Like lambs to the slaughter...

[terry57]

Slippery little bastards are in Borneo as well so watch your ball bag up there.

[bangerharvey]

My Langkawi website states in stunning opener 'The sea is free from jelly fish'. Since 1996 there have been 3 reported deaths from box jellyfish who knows how many more slipped through the hospital paperwork...
There have only been 2 reported deaths attributed to irukandji syndrome worldwide though the pain is so unbearable victims have been known to beg to be killed.
This all about the box jellyfish though and not irukandji because they're the ones known to be causing deaths in the region though not commonly. Still helpful to know that despite other claims vinegar is absolutely the only effective treatment that should be heaped on the stings (at least 30 seconds) before any tentacles removed - don't rub with sand or touch in anyway as this will just fire off more venom. There is anti venom but not in Thailand/Malaysia and it's effectiveness is questioned considering the incredibly rapid acting venom. CPR is all that might maintain life in the early stages of a sting.
R Sole, maybe put your child in a lycra suit - full protection!
Sabah and through the southern and western part of the Philippines are very bad box jellyfish areas also. They are present generally throughout the Indo-Pacfic region so you never know your luck in a big sea...

[VocalNeal]

Slippery little bastards are in Borneo as well so watch your ball bag up there.

When I lived in Sabah there was a "season' for jellyfish. Large pink things that looked like a floating shopping bag.
My ex was stung on the arm. Obviously not that seriously but the "scar" turns red whenever she goes in the sea.... and that was 24 years ago. She did say at the time that it was the most painful thing she ever experienced, including child birth.

Conspiracy theorist in me says there is probably a "season" here but saying so would be bad for business.

[CaptainNemo]

Phuket Box Jellyfish (Phuket : Box Jellyfish), got everything you wanted to know about Irukandji there.

Irukandji Box Jellyfish (Carukia barnesi) is unlikely to be the type of Box Jellyfish (Sea Wasp = Chironex fleckeri) that got her...

Irukandji are not quite as dangerous as , and are more likely to be found in deeper waters.
In other words... you've got a fighting chance of several minutes, assuming you get hauled up on the deck (or beach) quick enough; this poor lady probably never had a hope.

The link you might want is this one:
Box Jelly Fish, dangers on the great barrier reef

Habitat
The box jellyfish seem to move towards the shore in calm waters when tide is rising and gather near the mouths of rivers, estuaries and creeks following the rain.

...

Season
The season for the Box Jellyfish starts with the onset of the wet across the top of northern Australia, usually around October and lasts until April.

Venom
You have virtually no chance of surviving the venomous sting, unless treated immediately. The pain is so excruciating and overwhelming that you would most likely go into shock and drown before reaching the shore. So don't go swimming alone! Be sure to know the first aid procedures.

First Aid. Never use methylated spirit or alcohol.
Domestic vinegars should be poured liberally over the tentacles to inactivate stinging cells as soon as possible. The tentacles may then be removed. Artificial respiration and cardiac massage may be required.
Where antivenin is unavailable, pressure-immobilisation may be used on limbs after inactivation of stinging cells, while the patient is being transported to the nearest medical centre. (not sure about that last bit - research published around 2005 has allegedly showed that using bandages to achieve tissue compression provoked nematocyst discharge, despite the use of vinegar.)

The "season" is partly determined by the monsoon; time of day or night; and location.

The months November to April are much drier, with rain only falling on a few days a month. This is the period of the northeast monsoon when the wind is blowing overland from China or Indo-China and the air is consequently much drier. In the Kra Isthmus these winds bring more rain since they are more likely to have their origin in the Pacific Ocean or to have blown across the Gulf of Thailand. More rain falls in the south at this time but the extreme north is virtually dry for two or three months.

BBC - Weather Centre - World Weather - Country Guides - Thailand



Ironically, it's the rainy season that's safer...




She was reported as staying at Pantai Cenang
Alarm as Box Jellyfish Kills Tourist on Langkawi - Phuket Wan
...perhaps at the small stream mouth between Pelangi Beach (resort) and Pulau Rebak Besau islet?
Pantai Cenang - Google Maps


It may be possible to survive an attack, but only with ridiculous luck, and maybe some training.

remove or rub or scrape Box Jellyfish tentacles. It can be the difference between life and death! The tentacles are like a booby trap and if touched will fire millions and millions of stinging cells into the skin faster than a bullet.
[seems to be backed up here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6102347]

...

It is critical that vinegar be liberally poured on the sting immediately as suggested here by bgh for at least 30 seconds - this neutralizes the stinging cells instantly
but does not inhibit the venom or reduce the pain.

...

The venom is a cardiotoxin (and neurotoxin and derminecrotic toxin) that puts the heart in an irreversible contracted state within seconds or minutes at most.

Jellyfish Langkawi - Langkawi Forum - TripAdvisor

Any questions, try this lady: Hall of Fame: Lisa-ann Gershwin

An interesting additional thing here:
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/...ey10757_fm.pdf
They apparently "sleep"... they don't move much between 3pm and 6am, and "rest" on the sea floor... but where it's shallow.

"Shining lights on the jellyfish while they are inactive on the sea floor, or
causing vibrations close by on the seabed causes the animals to rise from the sea floor, swim around for a short period, and then fall back into an inactive state on the sand."

There may be a remedy to the venom in the pipeline:
https://www.mja.com.au/public/issues...ar10576_fm.pdf

"heat application may be of benefit in stings by other box jellyfish,
where venom distribution and the development of systemic effects appear
to be slower. For instance, in Irukandji syndrome (caused by some tropical
carybdeids), systemic effects appear up to 20–40 minutes after the sting."

http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/asc/app/gal...d/NEEMO-11.JPG

The 10 ft tentacles don't sting when they're dry... a blow torch might work better than picking them off with tweezers given the lack of time there is to play with.

There is an antivenom though:
Box Jellyfish Antivenom

Interesting anecdote...
Deadly Box Jellyfish Danger - ThailandGuru/ssBKK forums

...it seems the only safe parts to paddle in are the ones where they dump all the sewage and chemicals.

[forreachingme]

Shangai harbour is safe, not even microbes survive in there...

[CaptainNemo]

Another coal on the fire:
Sea Wasp | Marine Stinger | Box Jelly

The "bell" ofthis box jelly can get as big as a basketball with up to 60 tentacles hanging down as long as 15 feet

they are pretty fast swimmers (up to 5mph), dangling their long tentacles in the surf behind them.

the stinging cells work. They're little tiny poison darts that are buried inside the flesh of each tentacle (like the sweat glands in your skin), along the entire length. They're triggered chemically, by contacting the surface of human skin or the scaly skin of a fish. Scientists have captured box jellies and put them in tanks in the laboratory. Simply by pouring alcohol into the tank they caused the stinging cells to react and release their venom

something as thin and flimsy as women's nylon pantyhose worn over the skin will prevent the jellies from stinging

you really need to get tangled up good (contacting at least 10 feet of tentacle) in order to experience its ultimate effect - death

Just a small amount of training and management and information at resorts would probably cut the chances of unhappy endings down so much.

here's one on the beach (dead, but still dangerous):
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1299/...0206eb3232.jpg

here's the result of a survivor of an actual box jellyfish incident
http://www.xxx.xxx.xx/reslib/200912/r491034_2548862.jpg
This girls was stung by one in a river a few miles upstream from the sea...
...this kind of fucker:
http://blogs.panda.org/coral_triangl...4/_dsc0911.jpg

Just glad it don't get this big:


Then your only hope might be one of these:

[barbaro]

Carina Lofgren, 45, died a horrible death in just five seconds,

And her husband said she "screamed like a stuck pig."

This must ber VERY PAINFUL.

And only 5 seconds your life is over.

Life is fragile.

[Mr Brown]

I was in Palawan, Phillipines for a week in Jellyfish season; ruined the whole holiday to an extent. Remember hiring a glass bottomed canoe; no fucking way was I jumping out that. remeber seeing swarms of tiny jelly fish right under us.

I really do have a phobia of Jellyfish

[Mr R Sole]

^^ Nice pic's Nemo...careful though you may get a poll start about you!!!! see
(R Sole)https://teakdoor.com/members-only/64730-r-sole.html