Man stung by jellyfish 25m above sea level
A man is recovering in hospital after an irukandji jellyfish sting, 25 metres above sea level.
Fairfax reports the 45-year-old Filipino man was fishing from the deck of a bulk carrier off North Queensland when the incident occurred, leaving him numb from the waist down and in an "agitated" state.
RACQ - Central Queensland Rescue helicopter crewman Geoff Abrahams told Fairafx it was a "bizarre" case.
"It was weird for us - a very strange one," Mr Abrahams was quoted as saying.
"He was sweating profusely, he was very pale, he had shortness of breath, he felt numb from the waist down and pain radiating down his back and into his legs."
It was unclear whether the man was stung when he was splashed with water or when he pulled in his fishing line.
"With irukandjis, you can get stung and not know you've been stung by them and the symptoms can be up to 30 minutes later," Mr Abrahams said.
Irukandji jellyfish measure only 2 centimetres in diameter and have four tentacles.
The man was airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital where he was recovering and in a stable condition.
