Woman's warning after surviving horror jellyfish attack in Thailand

Zoe Cahill, 23, was left in agony after an underwater encounter while swimming near the shore of Zen Beach on the island of Ko Pha Ngan while holidaying in Thailand in October.

Given her injuries, it was almost certain she was stung by a box jellyfish.

“I thought I saw what looked like little bits of plastic in the ocean and within seconds this jellyfish stung me,” she told 9news.com.au.

“It literally felt like electricity had shot through my body.”

The 23-year-old had left Bedesseurt for her first solo trip to South-east Asia, where she had spent her time teaching yoga and travelling between Bali and Thailand.

She said had been swimming around Ko Pha Ngan for a few months without a problem.

But on that particular day, she was swimming about 50 metres from the shore when “all of a sudden my body just felt like it was vibrating”.

“The adrenaline kicked in, although my memory is still patchy, I actually managed to get myself back to shore,” Cahill said.

From what she has been told by bystanders, she managed to make her way back before collapsing and turning blue.

She recalled a group of about 15 people rush to her aid, dousing her with bottles of vinegar while a nurse performed CPR.

Cahill believes the amount of vinegar poured onto her had helped stop her from deteriorating further.

“I was crying I was screaming, I was just so confused as to what was happening,” Cahill said.

She was rushed to the local hospital in Ko Pha Ngan where a friend was able to meet her.

After undergoing testing, doctors told her she would need to be transported by emergency speed boat to the nearby island of Ko Samui.

The doctor told my friend, ‘she needs an antihistamine as her white blood cells are increasing rapidly and we don’t have the resources to treat her’, she said.

At the next island, she was seen by a marine toxin specialist from Bangkok, but she was still unsure of what exactly was going on due to the language barrier.

She said she remained in hospital for over a month, unable to walk for two weeks due to her extensive stings.

“I’m scarred all over my body, everywhere you look there’s a mark,” she said.

“But I’m grateful to be here today.”

She has since returned home and is now hoping to raise awareness about the dangers of jellyfish attacks, particularly as temperatures become unseasonably warmer across the country.

“I don’t think many people are aware.

“I had no idea these types of jellyfish were so close to the island.”