Overview
- Jaun‑Paul 'JP' Kalman says he picked up what looked like an oyster shell at Balmoral Beach and found a blue‑ringed octopus wrapped around his thumb.
- About 20 minutes later he developed numbness and slurred speech, prompting a call to his ex‑wife, who drove him to Royal North Shore Hospital.
- By mid‑afternoon he experienced worsening paralysis and breathing difficulty and was placed in an induced coma for roughly 20 hours.
- Kalman reports he remained aware but unable to move during the paralysis and later had recurrent episodes, collapsing the day after discharge while shopping at Aldi.
- Experts cited in coverage note the species is small and generally non‑aggressive, yet its tetrodotoxin has no antidote and has been linked to a small number of recorded deaths.