A father-of-two almost lost his arm due to a water-borne bacteria which entered his bloodstream during a swim on his annual Christmas holiday.
Andrew Emmerig, 48, from Warner in Brisbane, holidayed on the Sunshine Coast in south-east Queensland with his wife and two young sons in December.
He was staying at Cotton Tree Caravan Park when he noticed a small bump on his right bicep, which within hours flared up into a serious bacterial infection.
Sir. Emmerig was admitted to Sunshine Coast University Hospital with ‘gastro symptoms’, he said, and a stabbing pain in his arm.
Andrew Emmerig, 48, from Warner in Brisbane, holidayed on the Sunshine Coast, in south-east Queensland, with his wife and two young sons in December
“It felt like a fire under my arm, especially in the elbow,” he said Cairns Post.
He claimed doctors wanted to send him home with a course of antibiotics before a surgeon stepped in to take a closer look at Mr Emmerig’s arm.
Sir. Emmerig was transferred to intensive care and placed in a coma during his two weeks in hospital as surgeons battled to save his arm.
Specialists diagnosed strep, a painful and rapidly spreading skin infection, which stripped the flesh from his arm to expose the muscles and veins below.
Sir. Emmerig said his ravaged arm looked “disgusting” and admitted the prospect of losing his arm was “terrifying”.
But after four separate operations on the limb, amputation was finally ruled out.
“I was worried but they said life is the most important thing… first save my life then we can try to save my arm,” he said.
Almost three months and eight operations later, he still has no feeling in his arm and many years of rehabilitation ahead.
Sir. Emmerig was transferred to intensive care and placed in a coma during his two weeks in hospital as surgeons battled to save his arm
He said not being able to work has affected his mental health, but he is grateful to have had access to ‘incredibly good’ healthcare.
Sir. Emmerig said he will never fully regain feeling or full movement, but he is lucky to have survived.
“My blood pressure went to zero twice and I almost died, it was very serious,” he said.
This comes after an Australian woman was told her leg would have to be amputated after a swim at another beach on the Sunshine Coast.
Celeste Stirrup, 52, was swimming at Bulcock Beach with her grandson when she contracted cellulitis from a mosquito bite on her leg.
She told Daily Mail Australia that her leg ‘looked like a piece of beef hanging from a butcher’s shop’ and that the past few months have felt like a ‘crazy nightmare’.
With the school holidays just around the corner and thousands expected to flock to Queensland’s beaches, Ms Stirrup has issued an urgent warning to anyone going into the water.
‘This shouldn’t happen to anyone. A lot of people think that salt water is healing, but if you have a bite or a cut, maybe you shouldn’t go for a swim,” she said.
In the worst case, Mr. Emmerig was transferred to the intensive care unit and even lay in a coma for a while
Mrs Stirrup is questioning the water quality at some of the most popular beaches in the region and is calling for something to be done.
“If seawater is trapped and pooled and can’t flow in and out, it’s called brackish water and is perfect for bacteria to grow and thrive, and it’s not good to swim in,” she said.
‘The public needs to be made aware that this is not good water and there should be a warning sign.’
Daily Mail Australia contacted the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation with questions about the water quality at some of the beaches on the Sunshine Coast.
A department spokesman said there are currently no specific water quality-related studies being conducted in these areas.
Significant pollution incidents can be reported to the Department of the Environment, Science and Innovation’s 24/7 pollution hotline on 1300 130 372.