Russian toddler stung by jellyfish during Malaysian holiday dies

Two-year-old succumbs to complications related to box jellyfish sting after four days

A two-year-old Russian boy has succumbed to his injuries after being stung by a jellyfish at a popular Malaysian tourist destination.

Vladimir Iakubanets died on Wednesday at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, four days after being stung by a box jellyfish at the Cenang Beach in Langkawi last week.

Box jellyfish are known to carry one of the deadliest venoms of any animal.

The incident took place on the second day of the family trip when the toddler was swimming in the shallow waters near the shore with his parents.

His father, Nikita, 32, said the toddler was playing in the water when he suddenly cried out. "My wife took him out of the water and handed him to me before going to get a cloth to clean his leg," the father, who only goes by one name, told New Straits Times.

Nikita said his child stopped breathing within seconds. "I performed CPR as quickly as possible and other tourists helped take us to the beach rescue,” he said.

The rescue team washed the boy's wounds with vinegar before taking him to a clinic. He was eventually moved to the hospital where the toddler battled for his life before succumbing to complications on Wednesday.

Nikita described the toddler as "brave", while his mother, Olga, added that the boy was "our hero... our little angel".

"Every day, we tell him we love him and he always says he loves us back," she said.

Nikita thanked the medical team for doing their best to save his son. He hoped the incident would serve as a warning to other visitors about the presence of jellyfish in Langkawi’s waters.

File. Maha Tower and Kuah town are seen during sunrise on Malaysia's resort island of Langkawi on 1 March 2024 (AFP via Getty)

The couple reportedly expressed their wish to take the boy’s ashes back to Russia after cremation.

In the wake of the incident, Langkawi officials said about 102 cases of jellyfish stings were recorded in the waters off Langkawi in the past three years.

District Civil Defence Officer Captain Khairul Afzan Md Yasin said this year marked a decline in jellyfish stings with 23 cases recorded until 15 November, including the incident involving the Russian toddler.

"Following the case, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force Langkawi has increased patrols in coastal areas in addition to placing notices informing visitors regarding the presence of dangerous jellyfish," he said.

He said the weather changes and storms were the reason behind the box jellyfish reaching Langkawi waters.