Florida Jellyfish Sting 400 People Over Memorial Day Weekend

Countless masses of jellyfish waded onto central Florida beaches over Memorial Day weekend, stinging over 400 visitors and hospitalizing at least two, according to Brevard County Ocean Rescue officials.

Assistant Lifeguard Chief Eisen Witcher said that the sheer amount of people on the beaches, which were unusually crowded because of the holiday, was partially responsible for the shockingly high number of stings. The weather conditions also played a role.

"This time of year, this can happen when the conditions are perfect for jellyfish to wash up," he said. "You have an onshore breeze combined with an east swell."

According to CNN, two people who were stung were hospitalized and treated for respiratory distress, although it was "unclear whether the distress was caused by the sting or came from a pre-existing medical condition."

Lifeguards and beach patrollers from Cocoa Beach to Cape Canaveral were armed with vinegar-filled spray cans, used to neutralize the jellyfish stings.

"We have that solution there at all times, but we knew that we were going to have a lot of people out here this weekend," Witcher said. "These jellyfish are not a major threat, but they are annoying."

WATCH:

Comments

[Lupernikes]

05:06 PM on 06/09/2011

Jellyfish don't attack people, they just don't move out of the way when people "attack" them...

We are reaping what we've sown here, by killing off all of their competition by pollutuing the oceans or overfishing.....

[lotusgirl]

09:25 AM on 06/02/2011

Ummmm, I've been to the beach when the jellyfish were "attacking" in these numbers. I just said to myself, "I guess I won't get in the water." Guess what? I didn't get stung. They are pretty easy to see, and they are gross. Why where people still trying to swim?

[kadellagroove]

02:49 AM on 06/02/2011

yea... cause they are POed about the oil spill.

[quillsinister]

01:18 AM on 06/02/2011

The language in the article is ridiculous. Here's how it really went down: A bunch of jellyfish were carried more or less helplessly by the current and washed up on the beach, where unobservant humans managed to clumsily blunder into them and trigger the animal's autonomous stinging mechanism.

[DaMojo]

01:46 PM on 06/01/2011

"Countless masses of jelly fish waded onto central Florida beaches....."
Jelly fish have learned to wade?

[DaMojo]

03:34 PM on 06/01/2011

They took their tentacles and lifted up the edges of their bell shaped bodies...much like a lady of old would lift her skirts slightly to clear a puddle....and then they daintily stepped upon the beach...and started vengefully stinging the crap out of everyone within reach. They had to feel their way as jelly fish don't have eyes.

[quillsinister]

01:20 AM on 06/02/2011

Just wait until they get in on that opposable thumb action we like so much. :-)

[Blurryace]

08:57 AM on 06/01/2011

And they didn't get Gov. Scott? Oh man.

[elizlucinda]

08:54 AM on 06/01/2011

Come on HuffPo..who writes your stories and have they ever actually seen a jelly fish? !!!!!!!!

Jelly Fish don't wade.....you need a set of legs to do that and they don't have legs. they also don't "attack. most people get stung by swimming into them or stepping on them.

[Barringtonmorr]

01:04 PM on 06/01/2011

Since AOL took over I just don't know if we will have the old HP back

[andthatsnotall]

12:49 AM on 06/01/2011

So, no volunteers to go impaling the jellyfish with sticks and putting them in garbage bags? I bet you could get kids to do it just on a dare or make it into a contest. Rules: No touching with your hands. Biggest collection of jellyfish wins a prize! Pristine beach in under an hour.

[kikaidaboy]

10:26 PM on 05/31/2011

"attack"?!

[epicurean0]

09:49 PM on 05/31/2011

Ouch

[galactictravelerjavjav]

06:48 PM on 05/31/2011

The jellyfish are looking for chad.. they're stinging everyone with shingles. i kid the voting machine

[Kenji]

11:48 AM on 06/01/2011

Hanging chad?

[unami]

06:39 PM on 05/31/2011

That's what happens when your State vote Republican. Repent!

[Cornhusker40]

06:32 PM on 05/31/2011

Attacked? WTF? Oh well, I guess that would be right because just the other day I was digging in the veggie garden and suddenly was attacked by fish worms!!! I mean, OMG! What to do? What to do?

[TYRANNASAURUS]

07:03 PM on 05/31/2011

Make like its play spaghetti and add some sauce?

[FreedToChoose]

06:12 PM on 05/31/2011

The Huffington Post link declared "Jellyfish attack..." I thought this was about kamikaze jelly fish. Just another 'bait and swish"?

[tomasino]

05:53 PM on 05/31/2011

I say we cross the jelly fish with the peanut butter fish and breed peanut butter and jelly fish.

[FreedToChoose]

06:12 PM on 05/31/2011

On wheat fish or wry?

[TYRANNASAURUS]

07:04 PM on 05/31/2011

This is so dumb I love it....thanks.