December 16th 2024.
In December 2010, 10-year-old Rachael Shardlow found herself wading into the shallows of the Calliope River, about 15km from her home in Gladstone, Queensland. The stinger warning signs that were once posted along the bank had been washed away by recent floods, but Rachael's parents and older brother Sam assured her that it was safe to swim. Despite their reassurances, Rachael had a feeling of unease and even threw a tantrum before leaving the house that day.
Little did she know, that feeling of unease was a foreshadowing of what was to come. Within minutes of entering the water, Rachael was stung by a box jellyfish, the most venomous marine creature on the planet. Found in warm waters from Western Australia to Queensland between October and May, these creatures are capable of killing a human in mere minutes. Despite this, researchers still know very little about them.
Now 24 years old, Rachael recalls her nervousness about going into the water that day. "I do remember being nervous and asking my mom if there was anything in the water that could hurt me," she told 9news.com.au. Little did she know, her fears would soon become a reality.
Rachael's parents, Ruth Macklin and Geoff Shardlow, were sitting on a nearby hill when they heard their daughter's screams. They rushed to the riverbank to find Sam dragging his convulsing sister out of the water. A box jellyfish had wrapped its tentacles around her entire left leg. Fortunately, some nearby campers heard Rachael's screams and rushed to help, identifying the creature as a box jellyfish and calling for emergency help.
Ruth and Geoff's worst fears were realized when Rachael lost consciousness and turned blue. Fearing that an ambulance would not arrive in time, they put her in the car and drove at 160km per hour to meet paramedics at a nearby crossroads. Halfway through the drive, Rachael stopped breathing and Geoff immediately began performing CPR. Professor Jamie Seymour, a toxicologist specializing in venomous animals, later said that this was the only reason Rachael survived.
After receiving antivenom and being placed into an induced coma, Rachael was flown to Brisbane for specialized care. She spent a month in the hospital and had tentacle contact to about 30% of her body. Her left leg was blackened and covered in raw, whip-like wounds. Despite the severity of her injuries, Rachael's survival was deemed a miracle. Professor Seymour believes that more people could survive severe box jellyfish stings with more research.
Today, Rachael has almost no visible scars and is writing an autobiography titled "Stung" to share her story and raise awareness. Professor Seymour believes that Rachael's survival may have been due to the fact that the box jellyfish that stung her was a juvenile and did not deliver the full dose of venom that an adult animal is capable of.
Unfortunately, Rachael's story is not unique. At least 70 people have died from box jellyfish stings in Australia since records began in the 1880s, and researchers still know very little about these deadly creatures. "No other venomous animal in the world kills humans as quickly as big box jellyfish and we know virtually nothing about them," Professor Seymour said. This lack of knowledge makes it difficult to treat and prevent stings, and Seymour predicts that the death toll will continue to rise unless more funding is invested into research.
But getting funding for box jellyfish research has been a struggle. Seymour believes this is due to the fact that box jellyfish are only found in Australia's northern waters and there is a lack of public education about the dangers of their stings. However, every death serves as a reminder of the importance of this research.
In 2022, 14-year-old Mark Angelo Ligmayo died after being stung by a box jellyfish at Eimeo beach, just north of Mackay. "If that had been a shark, all hell would have broken loose. We'd have had funding left, right and center," Seymour said. He pleads for more funding to prevent future deaths and improve treatment, especially as these animals are being sighted further and further south.
One breakthrough that has already been made is the realization that vinegar may actually cause harm when used in box jellyfish first aid. Seymour is hopeful that more breakthroughs like this will be made in the future, as the death toll from box jellyfish stings continues to rise.
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