Influencer's Terrifying Encounter with a Deadly Box Jellyfish Caught on Camera

In a shocking turn of events, a travel influencer found herself in a life-threatening situation while vacationing in the tropics. Julie, a travel blogger, was enjoying a day in the shallow waters of the Philippines when she was unexpectedly stung by one of the world's most venomous creatures—the box jellyfish. Fortunately, she managed to escape with her life, albeit with a painful scar as a reminder of the incident.

While filming content for a brand collaboration, Julie suddenly experienced “excruciating pain” in her upper thigh. The sting from the box jellyfish was so intense that she described it as a burning sensation, akin to having a hot iron pressed against her skin. “I think I was screaming for like an hour; my voice was nearly gone because I was screaming so much. That’s how bad the pain was,” she recounted.

The young Irish national detailed the harrowing experience, explaining that the venom coursed through her body, causing her to feel pain not just in her thigh but also in her stomach, arms, and head. At one point, she feared she might be experiencing a heart attack or a panic attack due to the overwhelming pain.

@julieanddaniel_ #boxjellyfish #jellyfish ♬ DIM - Yves

“It was scary because we were on a remote island two hours away from any land, and there was no signal,” she said, highlighting the isolation of her situation. Julie was on a tourist expedition traveling from the remote island of Coron to El Nido, a larger municipality on Palawan island. Thankfully, her luck turned when an Australian doctor and nurse happened to be on the same boat.

Being well-versed in the dangers of box jellyfish stings, the medical professionals were able to monitor Julie's condition until she could be transported to a hospital three hours away from the beach. Box jellyfish stings can be fatal, with the potential to cause heart failure within just half an hour. In less severe cases, victims may experience symptoms such as vomiting, headaches, difficulty breathing, and, of course, intense pain.

According to jellyfish expert and marine biologist Dr. Lisa-ann Gershwin, box jellyfish are responsible for approximately 50 fatalities each year in regions like the Philippines. In contrast, Australia sees only about one death every three to four years, thanks to improved prevention measures, education, and public awareness.

“It can take as little as three meters worth of stings on the body to kill a healthy adult, and it happens in less than two minutes,” Dr. Gershwin explained. “Not everybody who is stung by a box jellyfish will die, but if you’ve been stung more than that lethal threshold, then statistically, you are probably going to die. It’s really quite mathematical.”

Julie’s incident, which occurred ten months ago, was particularly notable because she inadvertently filmed the moment of the sting while creating content for her followers. In the footage shared on social media, viewers can see a smiling Julie engaging with the camera before suddenly screaming in pain, causing her phone to drop.

“Some people were like, if you weren’t on your phone, maybe you would’ve seen it,” she reflected. “Maybe I would’ve seen it, but it was completely see-through, so I think even if I wasn’t on my phone, I wouldn’t have been able to see it.” She emphasized that she didn’t even notice the jellyfish before the pain hit her.

@julieanddaniel_ Replying to @user2258651335500 #boxjellyfish ♬ original sound - julieanddaniel_

Since the incident, Julie has been dealing with ongoing gut issues, which she suspects are linked to the sting. The experience has left her with a significant scar, serving as a constant reminder of her brush with danger in the tropical waters.