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IPOH – A 5-year-old French boy died after being stung by jellyfish while swimming at Teluk Nipah beach in Pangkor Island on Monday.
Manjung district police chief ACP Nor Omar Sappi said that in the 6.45pm incident, the victim suddenly screamed in pain while swimming with his family there.
“People close by to the victim rushed him to the beach before realising that he had been stung by jellyfish.
“While the boy was brought ashore, he fell unconscious and his family took him to the Pangkor Health Clinic,” he said in a statement today.
Omar said he received a call from the health clinic staff at about 7.30pm informing him that the victim had been confirmed dead.
He said the examination carried out on the victim showed tentacle sting marks on the abdomen, left hand and left leg.
He said an autopsy on the victim at Seri Manjung Hospital found that the cause of death was due to “jellyfish envenomation” and the case was classified as sudden death.
Meanwhile, the Perak Fisheries Department said that its initial investigations did not find poisonous and dangerous jellyfish which had reportedly caused the death of the boy.
State Fisheries Department director Noraishah Hashim said the information was obtained from the department’s investigation along the Teluk Nipah beach today.
“Nonetheless, the Fisheries Department will hold discussions with the relevant parties so that they can put up signs warning of the presence of dangerous jellyfish.
“Visitors are also asked to be more careful and not to touch any marine life they come across in the sea or the surrounding area,” she said, adding that the department would be monitoring the area from time to time for safety. – Bernama, August 17, 2022