YOUNG French tourist Aymeric Roussel, aged four, is recovering in Phuket International Hospital this afternoon after being stung by a marine creature at a southern beach.
About 1pm Aymeric and his mother Cecile, 42, were playing at Nai Harn in water that was up to Aymeric's waist when he suddenly screamed in pain.
''I carried him gently from the water,'' Cecile said. ''Then two Thais came to help. It was like a burn to his stomach and arm.''
The men, who work on the beach, have been trained to deal with jellyfish stings so they applied vinegar and a healing compound made from local plants. They called an ambulance.
Cecile is a nurse in Marseilles, where her husband Christian, 49, works as a gynecologist. He was on a diving trip today and will not become aware of the drama until later this afternoon, when he returns.
The family are on a 12 day holiday and plan to head home on Monday. They are staying at a private-pool villa in Nai Harn.
Although Aymeric's right arm and stomach were swathed in gauze bandages at the hospital, he appeared in no pain this afternoon and was heading for a rapid discharge.
Public Health officials are on the alert for possible seasonal activity by jellyfish and were keen to determine the cause of the stings quickly.
Given Aymeric's restless good health, early reports that it could be a deadly box jellyfish appeared to have been proven incorrect.
Vinegar is considered to be an essential for people making trips to Phuket beaches. Experts say only vinegar reduces the toxicity from box jellyfish tentacles and most other marine stings.
Different types of jellyfish have expanded numbers and territory in most seas around the world.
Swedish Girl Survives Box Jellyfish AttackAbout 1pm Aymeric and his mother Cecile, 42, were playing at Nai Harn in water that was up to Aymeric's waist when he suddenly screamed in pain.
''I carried him gently from the water,'' Cecile said. ''Then two Thais came to help. It was like a burn to his stomach and arm.''
The men, who work on the beach, have been trained to deal with jellyfish stings so they applied vinegar and a healing compound made from local plants. They called an ambulance.
Cecile is a nurse in Marseilles, where her husband Christian, 49, works as a gynecologist. He was on a diving trip today and will not become aware of the drama until later this afternoon, when he returns.
The family are on a 12 day holiday and plan to head home on Monday. They are staying at a private-pool villa in Nai Harn.
Although Aymeric's right arm and stomach were swathed in gauze bandages at the hospital, he appeared in no pain this afternoon and was heading for a rapid discharge.
Public Health officials are on the alert for possible seasonal activity by jellyfish and were keen to determine the cause of the stings quickly.
Given Aymeric's restless good health, early reports that it could be a deadly box jellyfish appeared to have been proven incorrect.
Vinegar is considered to be an essential for people making trips to Phuket beaches. Experts say only vinegar reduces the toxicity from box jellyfish tentacles and most other marine stings.
Different types of jellyfish have expanded numbers and territory in most seas around the world.
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Latest One year on from a fatal stinging, experts and interested groups are meeting on Phuket to accurately determine the scale and growth of the jellyfish menace.
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Where is this "southern beach"? Why can't the news here be more informative?
What's their agenda?
Editor: We mention Nai Harn in the introductory paragraph under the photograph on the front page and again in the second paragraph of the story. Our agenda is to tell people where these unfamiliar places are on Phuket, because we are read by increasing numbers of residents and non-residents. In other words, not all readers know Phuket. When you find a source that provides more news and is more informative, please let us know.
Posted by khun c on March 19, 2010 22:04