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An Irish travel influencer narrowly escaped death after being stung by one of the world’s most venomous creatures — and the terrifying moment was caught on camera.
Julie, a travel blogger who runs the TikTok account @julieanddaniel_ with her partner Daniel, was exploring the crystal-clear waters of the Philippines when she squatted into the shallow sea during a brand collaboration shoot — only to be struck by a box jellyfish, a marine creature whose sting can kill within minutes.
“I didn’t feel the jellyfish at all — just this excruciating, burning pain,” Julie said in a video recounting the event. “It felt like a hot iron was pressed into my thigh. I was screaming so much my voice was gone.”
The sting occurred during a remote boat tour from Coron to El Nido, on the Philippine island of Palawan. With no mobile signal and hours from a hospital, panic quickly set in — until, by sheer luck, an Australian doctor and nurse on the same tour recognised the symptoms and began immediate first aid.
“They monitored me constantly because they knew a box jellyfish sting can lead to heart failure within half an hour,” Julie explained. “I could feel the venom moving through my body — my stomach, arms, even my head.”
Despite the pain and confusion, Julie’s camera continued rolling and captured the moment she was stung. In the now-viral clip, she can be seen talking to the camera before suddenly screaming and dropping her phone.
“The jellyfish was massive — longer than a man — and totally transparent,” she recalled. “The tour guide even picked it up afterward. I didn’t even know I sat on it.”
Experts confirm that box jellyfish stings can be deadly in minutes. Marine biologist Dr. Lisa-ann Gershwin, a renowned jellyfish expert, has warned that it takes as little as three metres of tentacle contact to kill a healthy adult.
“Not every sting is fatal,” Gershwin said. “But if someone is stung beyond a certain threshold, they can go into cardiac arrest in under two minutes. It’s a race against time.”
Julie was rushed to a hospital three hours away where she received treatment, including antihistamines and pain relief. Ten months later, she still bears scars and experiences lingering gut issues from the neurotoxin.
Her story serves as a chilling reminder of the hidden dangers lurking beneath tropical waters. “They said jellyfish weren’t expected in that area, or they wouldn’t have taken us there. It was just a freak incident,” Julie said.
Despite the trauma, she’s grateful to be alive, and for the chance to raise awareness.
“This could’ve ended differently. I was lucky,” she said.
