A teenage boy has died in Townsville Hospital a week after being stung by a Box jellyfish. He was swimming at Patterson Point in Far North Queensland on February 22nd when he was stung. It's believed to be the first fatality from a Box jellyfish sting in fifteen years.
Between 1884 and 1996, the sting of the largest species, Chironex fleckeri, killed more than 60 people. Thankfully, some have been lucky and survived the sting, but have been left with horrible scars. This species is found in coastal waters from northern Australia and New Guinea to Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. If the sting area is significant, untreated victims have been known to die within five minutes. The recommended way to treat a sting is by pouring vinegar on it to permanently deactivate the stinging cells. Don't try to remove the tentacles and don't wash the area with either fresh or salt water as this will make the sting worse.