Aussie woman zaps back to life after electrifying encounter with deadly jellyfish near Koh Pha Ngan

[webfact]

An Aussie woman declared she is thankful to be alive after a bolt of “electricity had shot through her body” following a horrifying attack by some box Jellyfish near Koh Pha Ngan.

 

The 23 year old woman from Queensland in Australia was left hospitalised for over a month after the attack and issued a cautionary message to fellow holidaymakers about the dangers of swimming in Thailand.

 

Zoe Cahill, on her first solo trip to Southeast Asia, had been teaching yoga and exploring Bali and Thailand. Despite several months of swimming around Ko Pha Ngan without any issues, her peaceful routine took a drastic turn in October while swimming near the shore of Zen Beach.

 

“I thought I saw what looked like little bits of plastic in the ocean, and within seconds this jellyfish stung me. It literally felt like electricity had shot through my body.”

Despite her injuries, she managed to make it back to the shore, driven by adrenaline, though her memory of the incident remains patchy.

 

Fifty meters from the shore, her body suddenly felt like it was vibrating. With a rush of adrenaline, Cahill made it back to the shore before collapsing and turning blue. Fortunately, a group of about 15 people rushed to her aid, dousing her with bottles of vinegar while a nurse performed CPR. Cahill credits the quick application of vinegar with preventing further deterioration.

 

by Bob Scott

Picture courtesy of 9news.

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-01-22

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[retarius]

I don't care for the tats much, they need coloring in. But she had a lucky escape.....sometimes friends are not what they seem. 

[daveAustin]

Nasty burns, could've been a lot worse. Strong girl in getting back. Pretty too (nice eyes), esp having been laid-up for a month. 

[simon43]

I posted last February about my encounter and getting stung by a box jellyfish in Koh Phangan (Chaloklam), and how I consider myself lucky to be alive!

[Olmate]

Teaching yoga in Bali then just bummin around Thailand, sounds like a real Ozzie! 

[steven100]

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

left hospitalised for over a month

Certainly hope she had insurance 

[harrycallahan]

She's lucky they had vinegar handy, given the alternative treatment. 

[wombat]

They breed them aussie Sheila's real tough

[cjinchiangrai]

3 minutes ago, harrycallahan said:

She's lucky they had vinegar handy, given the alternative treatment. 

Any acid would work. Lime juice is plentiful here.

[brianthainess]

11 minutes ago, harrycallahan said:

She's lucky they had vinegar handy, given the alternative treatment. 

Yes I was wondering where they got it, in Oz it is on the beaches to use, but IMO here it would just get stolen. Golden shower being the alternative.

[Olmate]

8 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

Any acid would work. Lime juice is plentiful here.

Wrong guess.

[Toby1947]

27 minutes ago, harrycallahan said:

She's lucky they had vinegar handy, given the alternative treatment. 

Bet it wasn't Sarson's bloody price of it ridiculous 🤣😂🤣

[Bundooman]

2 hours ago, retarius said:

I don't care for the tats much, they need coloring in. But she had a lucky escape.....sometimes friends are not what they seem. 

I assume you are attempting to be humorous, but in case you aren't, these are the results of being touched by one of the four tentacles that these tiny jelly-fish have, and they last for many months before they eventually fade. Each tiny tentacle has thousands of small hairs , each of which contains enough venom equal to a number of cobras. Usually, the unfortunate swimmer quickly suffers renal collapse followed by certain death if not given instant medication, like an anti-histamine injection.

 

I was successfully offered a job in the Sultanate of Oman back in the late '80s simply because my predecessor's son was also brushed against by one of these, dubbed the most dangerous of all sea creatures. He too was fortunate that a nurse on the beach had anti-histamine facilities with her. They were casualty-evacuated back to UK.

 

I am surprised that this Aussie lady didn't know about them. They spawn from Australian waters and are carried by the Gulf stream directly towards Middle Eastern countries such as Oman on the Persian Gulf. They have been around Thai waters for a few years and have made the news on several occasions.

 

I was under the impression that Australians wore a kind of body stocking when swimming in areas where these Box Jellyfish originate. Apparently, they deflect the tentacle stings. Maybe she was unaware that they were in Thai waters.

 

I feel very sorry for her that her holiday has been marred by this very painful incident.

 

[steven100]

vinegar is the only option that works ......   and she needs to get those tattoos finished. 

 

and as an Aussie here on holidays,  I can bet she'll be stung by more than a jellyfish during her stay.  

[Skeptic7]

Painful as hell. Got stung in the Caribbean 36 years ago by an unknown type. Left an oval shaped welt and scar on my upper arm. Nothing that more 151 rum coladas 🍹 couldn't remedy❗

This is much worse than my experience. Glad she's ok. 

[chilli42]

Quick thinking lot on the beach.  They diagnose the problem quickly, grab their handy vinegar bottles, do CPR and call 911.  Poor girl would have been as dead as a Dodo if I had been in the case.

[simon43]

When I was stung by a box jellyfish in Koh Phangan, I was writhing on the floor of a beach restaurant while the owner poured and rubbed bottle after bottle of vinegar all over my body (I wasn't sure where I was stung because I had my back to the damn thing!). She probably savede my life...

[n00dle]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

My GF keeps telling that she too, gets a a bolt of electricity shot through her body every time we're doing it

(although she doesn't looks THAT haggard afterword like this woman)...

 you say the creepiest things

 

just plain cringe

[crazykopite]

A young 7 year old boy had the same encounter on the beach in Hadrin a year or two ago unfortunately he wasn’t as lucky and died of his injuries 

[malibukid]

52 minutes ago, wombat said:

They breed them aussie Sheila's real tough

i met a shela in Malibu who lived in a tree house across from Topanga beach.   strong as an ox. she surfed as well.  those where the days

[Bundooman]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

Some readers here needs to get a life giving  a "confused and sad" emojis to a light hearted posts...

(not only for this topic, but in general too, them sour pus unhappy people)...

Then you won't mind if people laugh at you when you experience a similar incident  - or are you one of those renowned 'armchair warriors'?

[steven100]

39 minutes ago, simon43 said:

When I was stung by a box jellyfish in Koh Phangan, I was writhing on the floor of a beach restaurant while the owner poured and rubbed bottle after bottle of vinegar all over my body (I wasn't sure where I was stung because I had my back to the damn thing!). She probably savede my life...

I surely hope you left a tip ... 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, retarius said:

I don't care for the tats much, they need coloring in. But she had a lucky escape.....sometimes friends are not what they seem. 

I have seen some real Tats like that, looks like a lightening strike or early stages of becoming a zombie..

She got hers for free, shame they forgot Tazzy..

[soalbundy]

40 minutes ago, n00dle said:

 you say the creepiest things

 

just plain cringe

The biggest lies are told about sex and money and they are all cringe worthy.

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I have seen some real Tats like that, looks like a lightening strike or early stages of becoming a zombie..

She got hers for free, shame they forgot Tazzy..

Voldermort's been at it again.

[Lapun]

Not sure if retarius was serious about tattoos. Those are the marks made by the jellyfish tentacles. For more information, see -

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_jellyfish

https://boxjellyfish.org/box-jellyfish-habitat/

 

In Australia, people swim in netted enclosures & very rarely wear body stockings for rerceational swimming. As far as only spawning in Australia, no. There are different species that are found in other parts of the world. The Wikipedia article says in part . . .

 

At least 51 species of box jellyfish were known as of 2018.

 

Then further on . . .

 

Recently, in 2023, a new genus and species of box jellyfish was discovered in the Indo-Pacific region, specifically the Gulf of Thailand. 

 

So that makes it at least 52 species.

 

And by the way, the Gulf Stream is in the Atlantic not the Pacific or Indian Oceans.

 

 

But you are right, the sting is painful. They are considered the most the most venemous sea creature, with more than 170 toxins identified in their venom.

[n00dle]

10 minutes ago, Lapun said:

Those are the marks made by the jellyfish tentacles. For more information, see -

 never has anyone ever demonstrated a firmer grasp of the obvious

[CygnusX1]

I used to wonder why box jellyfish were only found in Australian tropical waters, but it turns out that they’re in heaps of places, it’s just that they only seem to receive publicity in Australia. I think they’re seasonal in Australia?, much greater risk swimming in the summer months, not sure if that applies to Thailand. 

 

Jomtien beach now has warning signs in 4 languages. I do lots of swimming there, and nearly always receive tiny stings from jellyfish that don’t leave a mark. Box jellyfish worry me far more than the allegedly polluted water, and when I’m here in the summer months I use the condo pool instead. No idea if the Gulf of Thailand’s safer than the Andaman Sea.

 

Curiosity of the Thai language - the casual word for vinegar is the same as the one for orange juice.

 

[JackGats]

I use a full-body suit for swimming and snorkeling. It stinks from the sea-water after use and takes ages to dry, but it also protects against sunburns should I wish to stay in the water for long.

[Edina]

If I could only read this topic without advertising constantly blocking portions of the screen !!