A YOUNG boy went into shock after being stung by a jellyfish while swimming off Girvan beach.

Andrew McNicol, nine, was out in the sea having a swimming race with his uncle when he swam directly into a lion’s mane jellyfish on Friday, August 2.

Within seconds the tentacles of the sea creature had wrapped round his back causing a painful sting to 70 per cent of his body.

Andrew’s mum Christina told how she could hear her son’s screams from the beach, as he started crying.

“It was literally all over his back, his legs and his arms.

“It was horrible. He started screaming. He was literally writhing in pain.”

The panicked family rushed to a nearby caravan site, where one lady took Andrew in and showered him down and another resident tried to get some vinegar.

The McNicols, on holiday from Manchester, then sought help from the Girvan Lifeboat station, where volunteers attended to Andrew.

Christina added: “They were really good, at the time he was in so much pain. I didn’t know what to do, his dad didn’t know what to do. We were all shook up.”

Despite efforts from crew members Andrew’s condition started to deteriorate as his body went numb and he became unresponsive.

An air ambulance swooped onto the scene within 10 minutes, where medics fought to bring Andrew’s temperature back up.

He was then taken by road ambulance to Crosshouse Hospital where he spent a few hours getting checked over before being sent home.

Brave Andrew re-visited Girvan lifeboats the next day, where volunteers gave the brave lad a box of Heroes chocolates.

A spokesperson for Girvan RNLI added: “Thank you for coming to visit us Andrew and we are glad to see you are on the mend.”