9-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Stung By Deadly Jellyfish On A Beach

A 9-year-old boy died Saturday in Thailand after being stung by a deadly jellyfish while he was spending time with his family on the beach.

The Israeli boy had been living in Thailand for several years. He was playing in the water on a beach on Koh Phangan island when the venomous jellyfish bit him, The Times of Israel reported.

The victim's father heard his son's cry and rushed to check on him. The boy had red marks on his right arm and legs, and had become dizzy, the Bangkok Post reported. The father poured vinegar onto the area where the kid was stung, following which the child was rushed to the Koh Phangan International Hospital. However, the boy did not survive. The victim and his family have not been identified.

Poonsak Soponpathumrak, the Koh Phangan district chief, reportedly said there were signs written in three languages at Hat Rin beach by the village committee, warning tourists to go into the water only at designated areas, which were surrounded by nets to protect them from jellyfish. Locals also provided bottles of vinegar at these spots to treat jellyfish stings.

Authorities said they believe the child was stung by a box jellyfish, also called sea wasps and marine stingers.

The Israeli Embassy in Thailand reportedly spoke to the victim's father and expressed their condolence.

Varawut Silpa-archa, the minister for natural resources and the environment, also expressed condolences to the family. The minister also ordered relevant authorities to investigate the incident and prepare suitable first aid equipment in tourist areas where there are stinging jellyfish, as well as to raise awareness among tourists of the danger.

Box jellyfish's venom is considered to be among the most deadly in the world, according to National Geographic. The venom contains toxins that attack the heart, nervous system and skin cells. When the creature bites a human, victims are known to go into shock and drown, or die of heart failure before even they manage to reach the shore. These creatures live primarily in coastal waters off Northern Australia and throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Box jellies are highly advanced among jellyfish and have up to 15 tentacles that grow from each corner of the bell. These tentacles can reach 10 feet in length.