IPOH: Some 30 participants of an open water swimming event were stung by jellyfish at Pantai Teluk Senangin in Lumut early this morning, albeit with minor injuries, while three were slightly more serious cases.
The 2025 Teluk Senangin Open Water Swim is an inaugural open water event organised by a swimming community in Perak and held at Teluk Senangin Beach in Lumut today.
The Malaysian Civil Defence Force (CDF) in Manjung District said today that about 30 to 40 swimmers were stung by the marine creatures drifting on the tide, which are regarded as one of the challenges in open water swimming.
The CDF informed that in the incident at 8.15 am, two victims, a boy and a girl aged 9 and 10, needed hospital intervention from a possibly allergic reaction to the jellyfish venom.
“From CDF’s initial investigation, a number of participants estimated at 30 to 40 swimmers had been stung by jellyfish.
“All were given initial treatment by personnel from the CDF on-site medical base, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and also private medical services, while two injured children were taken to the Seri Manjung Hospital for further treatment (not ICU),” the CDF said in a statement.
It said the two serious cases were namely Nor Damia Qalessya Rosli, 9, and Muhammad Aqeel Zafran Norhalis Syafiq, 10, who were rushed to hospital.
“The incident occurred after the organisers flagged off the swimmers at 8 am today, however at 8.15 am all the participants had backpedalled to shore in pain and headed to the medical base to receive treatment for jellyfish stings,” according to the statement.
Meanwhile, chairman of the state committee on Health, Human Resources, National Integration and Indian Community Affairs A. Sivanesan said he had received information regarding the incident involving about 225 participants.
“The number of victims stung by the marine animal is 30, the majority of whom are boys aged 11 to 15, while three other victims have been referred to Seri Manjung Hospital.
“Most of them suffered minor injuries and none were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU),“ he said in a statement today. – Bernama