A young girl was rushed to the hospital after being stung by a jellyfish at Changi Beach at around 3pm on Sunday (Jan 26).

A witness to the incident, Zhang Yuliang (transliteration), told Shin Min Daily News that the child of about seven or eight was stung while walking on the beach and that he had seen "the 'imprints' left by the jellyfish's tentacles on her legs".

Her parents were with her, and she looked to be in pain, though the witness thought the injury was unlikely to be severe.

According to photos shown to Shin Min by the man, paramedics could be seen attending to the girl.

A restaurant manager working nearby told the Chinese daily that the child was wearing a swimsuit and he believed that she was swimming in the sea when she was stung. Her family also asked the restaurant for a cup of hot water, he added.

"The girl was crying bitterly, and later an ambulance was called to take her to the hospital," he said.

The manager, who only gave his name as Mark, also noted that it was the second time he had witnessed someone being stung by a jellyfish, with the previous incident taking place in 2024.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne that they received a call for assistance along Nicoll Drive at around 3.30pm on Jan 26.

They conveyed one person to Changi General Hospital.

According to Shin Min reporters, there are signs on the beach warning against the venomous box jellyfish, which have reportedly been spotted recently in Singapore.

Those who have spotted a box jellyfish or seen someone stung can call 1800-471-7300 to make a report.

At least two people have been injured by box jellyfish in Singapore waters back in 2020, reported The New Paper then.

The box jellyfish were then spotted at East Coast Park, Lazarus Island, Palawan beach and Sentosa's One Degree 15 Marina,

One mother shared on Facebook that her four-year-old daughter was stung and was covered in red welts and blisters.

She rushed her daughter home and poured vinegar on the wound and gave her antihistamines.

The girl was reportedly paddling in the shallow waters of Palawan Beach then.

What to do

NParks warns that box jellyfish have highly venomous stings which can be fatal, and lists symptoms including "immediate, increasing, and extreme pain", breathing difficulties, nausea and dizziness.

Depending on the species of box jellyfish, symptoms may arise immediately or even after 15 to 20 minutes, and NParks recommends monitoring the person stung for 45 minutes after they get out of the water.

First aid includes getting the affected individual to shore immediately and calling 995, with NParks noting that "stings covering more than half of one limb are considered life-threatening". 

They recommend not rubbing the wound or attempting to remove the tentacles with bare hands as this can result in the stinging cells releasing more venom.

Instead, people can "flood the sting area with seawater, and if available, plain vinegar, for at least 30 seconds" and then remove the stingers with tweezers or a towel.

A trained emergency first responder may also perform CPR if necessary.  

drimac@asiaone.com

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