Watch the video of meat-eating sea fleas that left Australian teen gushing blood at Melbourne beach
A teenager who went for a swim at a Melbourne beach and emerged with his feet covered in blood initially stumped marine experts
An Australian teenager whose legs were covered in blood after they were eaten by tiny marine creatures at a Melbourne beach was likely attacked by a swarm of sea lice, scientists said.
When Sam Kanizay, 16, felt sore after football on Saturday, he decided to soak his legs at Dendy Street beach in Brighton. Half an hour later, he walked out covered in what his family said were tiny marine creatures eating his legs.
“When he got out, he described having sand on his legs, so he went back in the water,” said his father, Jarrod Kanizay.
“He went back to his shoes and what he found was blood on his legs. They ate through Sam’s skin and made it bleed profusely.”
The teenager’s father couldn’t stop the bleeding and they went to hospital, where staff were at a loss to explain what had happened.