5-Year-Old French Boy Dies After He Was Stung By A Jellyfish In Pulau Pangkor
The victim had suddenly screamed in pain while swimming in the sea with his family.
A five-year-old French boy died after being stung by a jellyfish while swimming at Teluk Nipah beach in Pulau Pangkor on Monday, 15 August
According to Bernama, Manjung district police chief ACP Nor Omar Sappi said that in the 6.45pm incident, the victim suddenly screamed in pain while swimming in the sea with his family, who were on holiday in Pulau Pangkor.
"People close to the victim rushed him to the beach before realising that he had been stung," he said.
Image via New Straits Times
The police officer said the boy fell unconscious as he was being brought ashore and his family rushed him to the Pangkor Health Clinic
However, the victim was declared dead while receiving treatment.
According to Nor Omar, there were jellyfish sting marks on the victim's abdomen, left hand, and left leg.
"The boy's death was confirmed by a medical officer," he said, adding that an autopsy of the victim at Seri Manjung Hospital confirmed that the child's cause of death was jellyfish envenomation.
The case has been classified as sudden death.
A Terengganu State Fisheries Department officer showing a poisonous Portuguese man o' war jellyfish found on Pulau Kerengga beach in Marang, Terengganu in 2020.
Image via Puqtra Hairry Rosli/Utusan Malaysia
Meanwhile, Perak Fisheries Department has said that they will be monitoring the area, but advises visitors to be more careful around the beach
In a statement after the incident, state fisheries director Noraishah Hashim said initial investigations did not find any poisonous and dangerous jellyfish along the beach of Teluk Nipah.
"Nonetheless, the Fisheries Department will hold discussions with the relevant parties so that they can put up signs warning of the presence of dangerous jellyfish," she told Bernama.
"Visitors are also asked to be more careful and not to touch any marine life they come across in the sea or the surrounding area."
In 2020, the Civil Defence Force warned visitors that deadly Portuguese Man O'War jellyfish were seen in Marang, Terengganu:
Meanwhile, last Friday, 12 August, Pulau Pangkor locals were picking up bags of beached anchovies in the same area:
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