WITSAND NEWS - Local NSRI duty crew were activated to assist an 18-year-old male who had been stung by bluebottles while swimming.
NSRI Witsand medics responded to the scene while emergency services dispatched an ambulance.
On arrival, he was found on the beach in a serious condition and was treated for an allergic reaction to blue bottle stings.
A doctor, driving past the scene at the time, stopped to assist and the patient was handed into the care of EMS paramedics and transported to the hospital in a stable condition.
How to treat a bluebottle sting:
- Find a place to rest with someone who can watch over you.
- Don’t rub the sting area.
- Pick off any remaining tentacles with your fingers (a harmless prickling may be felt).
- Rinse the stung area well with seawater to remove any invisible stinging cells.
- Place the stung area in hot water (at a temperature your can comfortably tolerate).
- If the pain is unrelieved by the heat, or if hot water is not available, apply cold packs or wrapped ice.
- If the symptoms persist or for stings that cover a particularly large area, or across the throat and face call emergency serivces.
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