A teenage boy was hospitalized after swallowing a bluebottle while swimming off Bondi Beach in Australia on Christmas Day.
At approximately 1:20 p.m., the 18-year-old had made it back to shore after being stung by a stinger that crawled into his mouth. Lifeguards treated him and called an ambulance for him.
According to a spokesperson for NSW Ambulance, paramedics attended the scene and transported the boy by road to St Vincent’s Hospital.
On Monday, the hospital confirmed that the patient had been discharged.
There is no information as to how the bluebottle entered the boy’s mouth, or whether it was alive or dead at the time of swallowing.
Bluebottles float at the ocean’s surface and are moved around by the wind and current, rather than through active swimming.
Researchers from UNSW say about 1 in 6 Australians have been stung by a marine stinger, with most of those by bluebottles.
Surf lifesavers help treat more than 40,000 stinging incidents each year, with bluebottle’s the leading cause of first aid treatment reported by lifesavers.
When a person is stung by a bluebottle, it is recommended that they place heat on the sting site as quickly as possible. To achieve the best results, immerse in hot water for approximately 20 minutes.
Alternatively, a cold compress can be applied if hot water is not available.