A Perth mother has issued a stark warning to fellow beachgoers after a seemingly minor jellyfish sting during a family holiday escalated into a life-threatening infection that nearly cost her a leg.
A Holiday Turned Medical Emergency
Andrea Bowden was enjoying time in the shallows at Peppermint Grove Beach near Capel in Western Australia's South West with her daughter when she felt a sudden, intense burning sensation across both legs. Despite the immediate pain, the mum initially tried to shrug it off to avoid disrupting the family's Christmas celebrations.
"It just kept getting worse, the leg was swelling and the foot started to go black so my husband called the ambulance," Ms Bowden recounted. What followed was a harrowing ordeal that saw her rushed to Fiona Stanley Hospital with a severe case of sepsis.
The Fight to Save a Limb
At the hospital, the situation became dire. Medical staff delivered the chilling news that amputation was a real possibility. "There was talk of, if this leg goes bad, then it has to come off . . . potentially a below the knee amputation," Ms Bowden said.
Dr Ashley Fox, an emergency consultant at Fiona Stanley Hospital, explained the gravity of the infection. "We need to be really mindful of infection developing in the bone," Dr Fox stated. The medical team even discussed using medical maggots to debride the necrotic tissue from the wound, though ultimately antibiotics and careful surgical cleaning proved effective.
"Luckily, we treated her nice and early to prevent those complications," Dr Fox added. Ms Bowden, who is a type-one diabetic, described the perfect storm of conditions that led to the severe reaction.
A New Jellyfish Presence and Critical Safety Advice
The sting was caused by a Carybdea xaymacana jellyfish, a species different from the notorious Irukandji found in northern waters. Capel Shire President John Fergusson noted these smaller stingers, measuring around 3 centimetres, have only recently started appearing in numbers around Peppermint Grove Beach.
Dr Fox provided crucial first-aid advice that contradicts older methods. While vinegar has been commonly recommended, he advised that rinsing with saltwater followed by hot water is the best way to wash off remaining sting cells. His most important warning was not to ignore persistent pain.
Ms Bowden's message to others is emphatic. "You think to yourself it's just a sting, but it can turn pretty nasty pretty quick," she said. "I am never going in the water without longs, ever. And just don't leave it." Grateful for the care that saved her limb, she declared, "If I'd been in any other country in the world I think I wouldn't be here today."
