Langkawi: A two-year-old Russian boy who was reported to have been stung by a jellyfish at Chenang Beach, Langkawi last Saturday, passed away at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah (HSB) here this morning. The boy’s father, Nikita Iakubanets, 32, said his son, Vladimir, was pronounced dead at 9.46 am after four days of treatment at the hospital.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nikita stated that the doctor informed them their child had been poisoned by a jellyfish, leading to cardiac arrest and significant injuries on his legs. The injuries were attributed to a sting from a box jellyfish. Nikita, along with his wife Olga, 32, expressed their gratitude to the medical team at HSB for their efforts in trying to save their son.

Recalling the incident, Nikita said that he, his wife, and their son were swimming at Chenang Beach when Vladimir screamed in pain. Olga quickly brought their son to the shore and attempted rescue breathing before taking him to a nearby clinic. Vladimir was later referred to Hospital Sultanah Maliha in Langkawi and was subsequently transferred to HSB the following day.

This visit was the family’s first trip to Malaysia and Langkawi, having arrived on November 14 with plans to stay until November 26. Olga shared that they plan to cremate their son and bring his ashes back to Khabarovsk, Russia. “Our son is our hero. He is our little angel. Every day we told him we loved him, and he always said he loved us too,” she said.