Tag Archives: beach

 

What to do if you get stung by a bluebottle- as figures show numbers taken to hospital

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We have students every week in our first aid course ask about blue bottle stings. these are one of the most common stings that occur especially in summer when everyone is at the beach. Please learn the correct first aid course techniques by attending one of our cheap but effective first aid courses. We complete our first aid courses at the Dickson Tradies.

A 15-year-old girl was stung in ten places by bluebottles last month, as ambulance bosses revealed more than one person a week was hospitalised by marine life across the northern beaches last year.

Bluebottles were the most common culprit, with 43 calls for ambulances due to the creatures including for the girl, who was injured on December 5.

Sophie Bowman 4 checking out the bluebottles on Fairlight Beach in 2014. Picture: Bradley Hunter

She was stung across her legs, hips and stomach at Manly.

Last February, a 25-year-old male was also taken to hospital after struggling to breathe at Narrabeen, after being stung.

Meanwhile, three people who were stung by jellyfish in 2016 called ambulances, one person was the victim of an octopus sting, while 29 people were stung by stingrays, which are notorious in Pittwater.

A bluebottle jellyfish. Picture: Kit Wise

There were four stingray cases on December 30 alone across NSW, including a 55-year-old man who was stung at Ku-ring-gai Chase.

There were no incidents involving sharks in the area, which covers Sydney Harbour Bridge to Palm Beach.

The figures are the highest overall out of Sydney’s four ambulance districts.

However, while bosses said bluebottles are a part of summer, brought in to beaches by northeast winds, stings should be taken seriously.

Manly Daily reader Kim De Kock’s image of Bluebottles at Little Manly

NSW Ambulance paramedic Matt Burke said: “Bluebottle stings can induce a potential anaphylactic or severe reaction in some people, particularly if there is any immune compromise.

“If you get a series of stings or if you get stung around the airway, you can get some swelling and some possible airway compromise.”

He said it was important to remove the affected person from the water and perform basic first aid as soon as possible, and call triple-0 if necessary.

The figures from across NSW show ocean bites and stings peaked in January and February.

Bluebottle washed on the beach. Picture: Regi Varghese

WHAT TO DO

Bluebottles Rinse area with seawater to remove remaining stings, place in hot water

S tingrays Place in hot water, control any bleeding with pressure; if the barb is embedded, do not remove it, but get to hospital

Blue-ringed octopus Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage and get to hospital

Recent post

 

Surf Life Saving Queensland calls for compulsory CPR lessons

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Complete a first aid course now.

Surf Life Saving Queensland wants all pool owners to undergo compulsory CPR lessons, following a spate of pool drownings over the Christmas period.

There have been a number of close calls in Queensland pools this summer, with three near drownings in Cairns alone.

In November, two sisters aged three and four drowned in their family’s backyard pool in Logan.

Since Christmas Day in NSW, four children aged under five have drowned – three in pools and one in a fish pond.

SLSQ Academy Operations Manager, Ken Clark, said while prompt calls to triple zero are “wonderful”, CPR from a knowledgeable bystander could save lives.

“The first four to eight minutes are crucial,” he said.

Mr Clark said it’s often after a tragedy that people wish they had the skills to perform CPR.

“People say “oh I wish I had done that class, I’ve been wanting to for ages but never got around to it’,” he said.

Part of the benefit of CPR training, Mr Clark said, is that it gives people the confidence to help out in the case of an emergency – a skill all backyard pool owners should have.

“What it does do is it gives you the skills to be a first aider – in your mind, you say ‘I can do this’,” he said.

“Any attempt at resuscitation is better than no attempt but there’s nothing like practice, so good CPR is even better.”

While proper pool fencing and a secure gate is also vital to prevent backyard drownings, Mr Clark emphasised that parents must still watch their kids.

“You’ve got to supervise the kids,” he said.

“But teaching them to swim is the first thing.”

The drownings have prompted calls for swimming lessons to be mandatory in all Australian primary schools.

In an opinion piece for Fairfax Media, YMCA NSW chief executive Leisa Hart said all Australian kids “deserve the skills to survive”.

“Astonishingly, it’s thought that three out of five Australian children leave primary school without basic swimming skills,” Ms Hart said.

Ms Hart said the government, schools, Surf Life Saving Australia, the Royal Life Saving Society Australia and other organisations need to work together to teach children water safety.

For Certain! Every pool owner needs to have completed CPR in a first aid course. It costs minimal and it will save your family members life. Make sure you book in early to our first aid course as we are booking out around 1 week before course dates now. Our first aid course is excellent. Our first aid course is cheap. Our first aid course is the best in Canberra. Boo in to our first aid course now.

Recent post