Australian surfer’s Fiji trip turns into horror as deadly marine encounter leaves him fighting for life

An Australian surfer has described a terrifying ordeal after being stung by a box jellyfish in Fiji, with the venomous encounter sending him to hospital in what doctors warned was a potentially life-threatening situation.

Guy Rowles was on a surf trip with his father at Sujees Surf Stay near Cloudbreak in the Mamanuca Islands when the incident unfolded last week.

Box jellyfish are among the most dangerous marine animals in the world, with tentacles that can extend up to 10 feet and are lined with thousands of venom-filled cells capable of triggering cardiac arrest in extreme cases.

On the first day in the water, Mr Rowles said he was suddenly struck on the arm by what turned out to be a box jellyfish. He was thrown off his board and immediately tried to rip the tentacles away as the pain set in.

“All of a sudden something hectic stung my arm. It felt like someone had just poured burning hot oil on me,” Mr Rowles told surfing publication Stab on Monday.

He was pulled onto a support boat where his condition worsened, experiencing chest tightness, shaking and convulsions as the crew raced him more than an hour to hospital in Nadi.

“I’m looking at my dad going, “F... Dad, am I going to die?”.

“I was shaking, vomiting, couldn’t really feel my legs. Tingles everywhere, but as soon as the guy got off the boat, he started sprinting across the coral… A couple of crew came to help and they’re saying, I’m going to pray for you.”

In a desperate moment, Mr Rowles called his mother from the boat before the high-speed transfer to hospital.

At the hospital, doctors delivered news about how close he had come to a worst-case outcome.

“The doctor goes, ‘It’s too late for antivenom, you’ve missed your window. It’s been in you for an hour.’ Yeah, I just had to ride it out, really,” he said.

His treatment included vinegar to neutralise remaining venom cells, along with morphine for pain relief and removal of tentacles still attached to his skin.

Despite the severity of the sting, which covered much of his arm and is considered potentially fatal, Mr Rowles survived.

“They said I was lucky that I didn’t get it on my face or neck. And that if I wasn’t young and healthy, it could’ve gone a lot differently”

Just days later, he was back in the water, sharing images of himself surfing again and reflecting on the experience as a reality check.

“Definitely puts things into perspective.”

Box jellyfish are found in warm coastal waters globally, but the most dangerous varieties are concentrated in the Indo-Pacific region, including northern Australia.

Fiji authorities had issued a public health warning just a week before Mr Rowles’ incident, alerting swimmers and surfers to increased jellyfish activity.

They urged people to take precautions after a rise in hospital presentations linked to suspected stings.

Officials warned symptoms can include severe pain, breathing difficulties, visible tentacle marks and collapse, and advised immediate medical attention in suspected cases.

Preventative measures include wearing full-body protective wetsuits and avoiding swimming at dawn or dusk when jellyfish activity is often higher.

Authorities also stress that anyone stung should be removed from the water immediately and emergency services contacted as quickly as possible.