The latest victims of the stinging Portuguese man o’ war are two children on Fire Island. This summer, the bright blue creatures with their long tentacles have so many times appeared in the Jersey Shore beaches, said CBS2’s Dave Carlin. It’s Fire Island’s turn now to deal with them.

Cathy Scutari-Thorvaldsen of Davis Park, Fire Island, said something caught her attention and appeared like a balloon. However, she soon realized that it was not a balloon. She had a narrow escape, as was about to step on the slick and stinging Portuguese man o’ war on a stretch of beach where the creatures are spotted very rarely.

They look like jellyfish, but a colony of multiple creatures called zooids is present on each one. Zooids are physically attached together.

The sea creatures might appear pretty, but beware of them as their sting gives one of the worst painful sensations. A five-year-old did not know about what his stint to grab an electric blue would result into. The creature stung his whole hand, making him all swollen and giving a big rash. Another victim was a 7-year-old, who was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore for treatment.

Marine life experts suggest not to try handling a man o’ war, and anyone who somehow comes close to a Portuguese man o’ war should do their best to get far away from the organism as quickly as possible. The ones who unfortunately come into contact with the organism should use saltwater to rinse the wound, not freshwater.

A post on the Fire Island National Seashore Facebook page reads, “The long tentacles of the Man o’ War can cause a painful sting, even after it has died. Beachgoers should be vigilant and should maintain a safe distance”.