17-Year-Old Dies After Being Stung by Box Jellyfish on Australian Beach 

A 17-year-old boy died one week after being stung by a box jellyfish on a beach in Queensland, Australia, according to reports.

The teen, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, was swimming in Patterson Point near Bamaga when he was stung on February 22, according to 7News. Police told CNN he was transported to a local hospital but died on March 1.

"The recent incident at Bamaga is a timely warning to take precautions when swimming in the sea in any northern waters," Marlow Coates, Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service northern director of medical services, said in a statement. "We are seeing sightings of both box jellyfish and jellyfish that cause Irukandji syndrome in our waters.”

Reports say this is the first fatality from a box jellyfish in 15 years.

Box jellyfish get their name because of their odd shape and have tentacles, which, in some of the 50 species of this particular jellyfish, contain a venom that is poison to humans, National Ocean Service said.

The Australian box jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri, is considered to be the most venomous marine animal, National Ocean Service said.

A Chironex sting is "immediately and excruciatingly painful" and "should be considered life-threatening," according to authorities.

Box jellyfish found in Australia can grow to one foot in diameter and have tentacles that extend to 50 feet, according to CNN.

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