Jellyfish incident
- Safety Flash
- Published on 29 July 2005
- Generated on 11 January 2026
- IMCA SF 08/05
- 2 minute read
A Member has reported an incident that occurred during surface diving operations offshore of Western Australia, whereby a diver was apparently stung by a Carukia barnesi jellyfish, which led the diver to develop Irukandji syndrome.
What were the causes?
The incident was attributed to the following basic causes;
- The diver was stung and envenomated by Irukandji jellyfish.
- Loose overalls had allowed jellyfish to enter at the back of the neck during surface swimming – the Irukandji jellyfish is typically between 1-2.5 cm across the body and is therefore able to enter through small areas.
Actions
Our Member has recommended the following actions for the geographical area concerned:
- Correct PPE should be used for surface swimming, air diving and saturation diving.
- Stinger suits should be worn under all coveralls whilst diving unless wearing a wetsuit.
- Diving hoods should be used at all times whilst surface swimming.
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