Jellyfish attack closes lagoon

A SECOND serious jellyfish sting in less than two weeks has prompted the Darwin Waterfront Corporation to close the popular lagoon swimming area.

In a statement issued last night, the waterfront management said the lagoon would be closed for the next week following “the report of a second reaction to a marine sting”.

“The corporation takes these reports very seriously and the safety of the public is the first priority,” the statement said.

“No confirmed Irukandji or box jellyfish have ever been identified at the recreation lagoon, however the active marine environment may, in rare circumstances, cause marine stings with serious reactions.

“Over the coming weeks nightly spotlighting and dragnetting of the … lagoon will be undertaken by Surf Life Saving NT. Divers will also be deployed to assess and cull the numbers of Cassiopeia jellyfish and inspect other marine life in the lagoon.”

Cassiopeia jellyfish are generally thought to be harmless but can cause reactions in some people.

The lagoon closure comes after the NT News reported that 11-year-old Anika Maney was stung by an unknown jellyfish, suspected to be an irukandji, earlier this month. Anika felt what she thought was a mosquito bite on her leg.

By the time her family had

“I’ve never seen her in so much pain. It was horrible”

returned home, Anika was in distress. Within half an hour, an itch had spread all over her body and she was in terrible pain.

After trying unsuccessfully to soothe the pain with a bath, Anika was rushed to hospital and admitted to the emergency department.

“That was the most upsetting for me; nobody was able to say exactly what was happening ... She was in so much distress,” her mother Sonet Maney said. “I’ve never seen her in so much pain. It was horrible.”

Ms Maney warned people not to go into the water.

The Waterfront Corporation will allow free entry to the wave pool at the Darwin waterfront during business hours while the lagoon is closed.

The corporation said the lagoon “remains one of the safest places in the Territory to swim”.

“The Darwin Waterfront Corporation will work over the coming week to ensure the recreation lagoon is made as safe as possible and thanks the public for its support and understanding.”