Redspeckle
03-02-2007, 06:12 PM
This from the Courier Mail
A FAMILY holiday for Channel 9 newsreader Heather Foord turned into a
near thing when her daughter Riley stepped on a deadly stonefish.
Riley, 12, stood on the fish when in only a few centimetres of water in the Mooloolaba River on the Sunshine Coast.
She felt a sharp pain and Foord at first thought Riley had stepped on a sharp shell but the situation changed rapidly.
Foord said yesterday it took just moments for what appeared to be a bruise to start spreading around the tiny wound.
"She was in so much pain so quickly it was amazing. The poison seemed to spread about an inch (2cm) a minute," she said. "It was then we realised it wasn't just a cut."
An ambulance was called and Riley was taken to Caloundra Hospital where the stonefish diagnosis was made and she was given morphine and anti-inflammatories.
"Apparently, the best treatment is water as hot as you can stand. It helps break down the protein in the poison," Foord said.
But Riley recovered so quickly she insisted on going to a family dinner that evening.
Queensland Museum fish collection manager Jeff Johnson said yesterday Riley would have almost certainly stood on an estuary stonefish.
Of the two species found in Australian waters, estuary stonefish were far more common than reef stonefish.
Stonefish are common over much of Queensland, particularly Moreton Bay.
"In fact, if you were trying to locate them, Moreton Bay would be the easiest place to find them," Mr Johnson said.
Although no figures were available, it was not unusual for people to be stung.
"It happens from time to time, although the more common stings are from the bullrout species of scorpion fish.
"They are called freshwater stonefish and are usually found in upper reaches of rivers in brackish water such as at College's Crossing at Karana Downs and the Pine River."
Mr Johnson said the sting had no long-term effects but how people handled it depended on their age and health.
Mitch:o
A FAMILY holiday for Channel 9 newsreader Heather Foord turned into a
near thing when her daughter Riley stepped on a deadly stonefish.
Riley, 12, stood on the fish when in only a few centimetres of water in the Mooloolaba River on the Sunshine Coast.
She felt a sharp pain and Foord at first thought Riley had stepped on a sharp shell but the situation changed rapidly.
Foord said yesterday it took just moments for what appeared to be a bruise to start spreading around the tiny wound.
"She was in so much pain so quickly it was amazing. The poison seemed to spread about an inch (2cm) a minute," she said. "It was then we realised it wasn't just a cut."
An ambulance was called and Riley was taken to Caloundra Hospital where the stonefish diagnosis was made and she was given morphine and anti-inflammatories.
"Apparently, the best treatment is water as hot as you can stand. It helps break down the protein in the poison," Foord said.
But Riley recovered so quickly she insisted on going to a family dinner that evening.
Queensland Museum fish collection manager Jeff Johnson said yesterday Riley would have almost certainly stood on an estuary stonefish.
Of the two species found in Australian waters, estuary stonefish were far more common than reef stonefish.
Stonefish are common over much of Queensland, particularly Moreton Bay.
"In fact, if you were trying to locate them, Moreton Bay would be the easiest place to find them," Mr Johnson said.
Although no figures were available, it was not unusual for people to be stung.
"It happens from time to time, although the more common stings are from the bullrout species of scorpion fish.
"They are called freshwater stonefish and are usually found in upper reaches of rivers in brackish water such as at College's Crossing at Karana Downs and the Pine River."
Mr Johnson said the sting had no long-term effects but how people handled it depended on their age and health.
Mitch:o