Beachgoer's encounter with deadly threat prompts warning to Aussies: 'Can kill'
The man was stretchered off the beach and rushed to a nearby hospital.
A beachgoer has been hospitalised after he was stung by a marine animal at a popular beach over the weekend, and it's a deadly threat not many people are aware of when they don their swimmers.
The man, in his 20s, stood on a cone snail — with some of the species having a venom so potent it can kill humans within the hour, one marine snail expert told Yahoo News. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at Collins Flat Beach in Manly, Sydney and emergency services rushed to his aid.
NSW Ambulance confirmed to Yahoo News the man was stung on his left foot but was conscious and able to converse with first responders when they arrived. It is understood several paramedic crews arrived at the location, and the man showed no signs of respiratory distress despite the venom of these marine creatures containing deadly neurotoxins.
The beachgoer was immobilised to restrict any likely venom spread and was stretchered off to a local hospital.
Deadly beach threats moving down Australian coast
There are over 800 species of cone snails and they are common throughout northern parts of the country. They are typically found as far south as southern Queensland but recent sightings suggest they're making their way further down the coast to NSW locations, including Sydney, and in Victoria.
"A lot of tropical species are extended south as the warm water currents move down the coast due to climate change," marine snail expert Richard Lewis told Yahoo News. "The deadly ones are usually further north."
This sentiment was echoed by Stephen Smith from Southern Cross University who previously told Yahoo News "there is evidence over the last 20 years of a shift southwards."
One snorkeller recently spotted many cone snails at one hotspot in Coffs Harbour in NSW and warned beachgoers not to be fooled by their pretty appearance.
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The species are credited to be one of the most effective deliverers of venom, with "harpoon-like barbed darts" coated with a cocktail of neurotoxins shooting into prey.
However, there has only been one death recorded in Australia from a cone sail and it occurred almost a century ago in 1935. Worldwide, there has been 30 human deaths linked to cone species.
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