Grandfather, 58, dies after being stung by swarm of jellyfish in South Africa

A grandfather has died after being stung by a swarm of Portuguese Man o' Wars in South Africa.

Roland Singh, 58, collapsed after suffering severe anaphylactic shock when he was stung by the jellyfish-like creatures on Saturday as he swam with his granddaughter in the sea near Cape Town.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate the South African but he was declared dead at the scene.

Cape Town emergency spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said it was extremely rare for humans to be killed by the floating creatures, which are known in South Africa as Blue Bottles.

But he added: 'It is believed that the man suffered severe anaphylactic shock as a result of the sting by the blue bottle jellyfish.

'He was swimming with his friend at the beach when they realised they had been stung.

'They tried to come out of the water however the man found himself in distress.

'His friend recovered him from the water with the assistance of the lifeguards.

'Upon recovery the lifeguards initiated CPR until the arrival of the emergency services.

'The paramedics attempted to revive the man however their attempts were unsuccessful.' 

Mr Singh's family spoke about the tragedy to the Cape Times newspaper.

His future son-in-law Angus Petersen told how he was swimming just a few metres away from the grandfather off Cape Town's Strand beach when he hear Mr Singh screaming for help.

He said: 'He was swimming and playing in the shallow side with his two-year-old granddaughter.

'The next thing I heard was his son screaming to me to come and help.' Mr Petersen said he was also stung by Portuguese Man o' Wars as he tried to help his stricken relative.

He added: 'I tried to resuscitate him while they were waiting for the paramedics to arrive, but he just wasn't responding.

Continued:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2084189/Grandfather-58-dies-stung-swarm-jellyfish-South-Africa.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

'Avoid like the plague' - killer jellyfish washed ashore in Kerry

A LETHAL jellyfish has been found washed ashore on a beach, sparking a public warning from fisheries experts to avoid it "like the plague".

The Portuguese Man of War was washed ashore on Wine Strand in Smerwick Harbour, west of Dingle, Co Kerry, on Friday night.

The beautifully coloured jellyfish may be attractive to look at but the poison in its tentacles is enough to kill its prey and can also kill humans.

Fisheries protection officer Kevin Flannery, based in Dingle, said they were normally found in tropical southerly seas but the prevailing southerly winds could sometimes carry them to northern Europe.

"They're a beautiful colour, all the colours of the rainbow, but the beauty comes with a price," Mr Flannery told the Irish Independent.

"I would advise members of the public, please, please do not touch them," he stressed. "They will sting, they will burn and they are lethal."

According to the fisheries expert, the Portuguese Man of War's tentacles can stretch out up to 30 metres to touch its prey. It then releases a venom that kills.

"They're fascinating creatures to watch. They can inflate themselves in the water so they move faster with the wind," he added.

"The southerly winds from Africa we've been experiencing lately brought this one ashore. It has happened before and you do get the odd one that makes its way on to Irish beaches."

Mr Flannery explained that the Portuguese Man of War is a living colony of minute organisms and can reproduce within itself. Its name is borrowed from the man-of-war, a 16th-Century English armed sailing ship, which was based on an earlier Portuguese vessel.

There may be others out in the ocean but so far only one has come ashore. However, local fishermen say they have spotted the tropical jellyfish in the water and that they're not an unusual sight at this time of year.

"Luckily, there aren't too many people swimming at this time of year, but to any member of the public, I would advise them to avoid it like the plague," he said.

The Man of War is now at the Oceanworld Aquarium in Dingle where it is being kept in isolation. Staff have learnt from past experience -- the last time one was kept at the facility it was put on display but killed all the other fish in the tank.

- Majella O'Sullivan

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/avoid-like-the-plague-killer-jellyfish-washed-ashore-in-kerry-2900944.html

Rare Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish sighted off Marsamxett

Wednesday, 9th March 2011 - 12:39CET

A rare Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis) jellyfish has been found by the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) and passed on to the Spot the Jellyfish team at the University of Malta. The specimen had a length of 25-30cm.

Researcher Alan Deidun said sightings of this stinging species are rare in Maltese waters – in a paper published earlier this year and which can be accessed at www.alandeidun.eu, recent (since August 2009) sightings of this species in Maltese waters, amounting to a total of four, are listed.

The Portuguese man o’war is mostly common in the Atlantic Ocean and is currently wreaking havoc to the tourims industry in Florida as thousands are sighted in coastal waters of this American state and with some internet sites soliciting tourists to avoid Florida for their holidays.

The Portuguese man o’war is not actually a jellyfish but consists of a colony of specialized gelatinous organisms. The colony has an air-filled bladder called the marissa or sail through it manages to float. The species is commonly known as the Portuguese man-o-war by virtue of its resemblance to a 16th century vessel of Portuguese design, known as the caravel, which had triangular sails similar in outline to Physalia. The species is native of tropical areas of the Atlantic Ocean but is also commonly encountered in other regions such as Australia and the Mediterranean Sea. It inflicts very painful stings and the venom in detached tentacles and even in dead specimens (such as those which wash up on shore) can remain active for a few days.

The Spot the Jellyfish initiative is coordinated by Dr Deidun and staff of IOI-MOC, and enjoys the support of the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) and of Nature Trust, Friends of the Earth, EkoSkola, the BlueFlag Malta programme and, as from this year, Sharklab.

A revamped set of posters has been designed this year and will be affixed at different coastal sites as from next May, balancing out concomitantly the need to be as user-friendly and informative as possible. A jellyfish photography competition is also being organised, jointly with Din l-Art Helwa, with submissions being received by Dr Deidun (alan.deidun@um.edu.mt">alan.deidun@um.edu.mt) and Dr. Stanley Farrugia Randon (sfarran@maltanet.net">sfarran@maltanet.net). The competition is set along two tiers – one for SCUBA divers and snorkelers having an underwater camera and one for those having a conventional camera and taking photos of beached or surface jellyfish specimens. Winners of both categories will be announced during Notte Bianca and prizes include an underwater watch and an underwater camera.

The reporting is done by simply matching the sighted jellyfish with a simple visual identification guide, giving the date and time of the sighting, and indicating the number of jellies seen. Sightings can be also reported online or submitted through an SMS on 79 222 278, or by sending an email message to ioi-moc@um.edu.mt">ioi-moc@um.edu.mt. Strange jellyfish not included on the leaflet should be caught and kept in a bucketful of seawater prior to contacting IOI-MOC staff (ioi-moc@um.edu.mt">ioi-moc@um.edu.mt) for retrieval to attempt a definite identification of the species. If this is not possible, photos of the same individuals should be taken.

So far, over four hundred reports of 11 different jellyfish species have been submitted by the public, and can be viewed online on a summary map (http://193.188.45.233/jellyfish/stats.html) which depicts jellyfish occurrence and distribution. The initiative has received international recognition for its innovation citizen science approach, being featured online in various related portals. The Spot the Jellyfish team welcomes Sharklab aboard and commends Sharklab for being the most enthusiastic contributor to the initiative so far during 2011!

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110309/local/rare-portuguese-man-o-war-jellyfish-sighted-off-marsamxett