Kim Chmielewski had no idea scorpions could survive in water. She found out when her 5-year-old daughter, Cate, was stung by a bark scorpion while playing in the family’s backyard pool, according to KLAS.
The bark scorpion is among the most venomous in the United States. Scorpions don’t get into pools intentionally, but sometimes fall in while pursuing prey, which are ordinarily small insects, WLAS reported. The one that stung Cate was only about an inch long.
Chmielewski rushed her daughter to the hospital, where she was given Benadryl and sent home, but doctors warned her mom to watch her closely and described the symptoms to look for, WLAS said.
It took about an hour, KLAS reported. Cate started having twitches, involuntary movements, then full-body spasms. Her mother called 911 and she was rushed back to the hospital, where she was given three doses of antivenin. She spent Saturday night and much of Mother’s Day in the hospital.
Cate has fully recovered, and has even jumped back in the pool. But Mom said she’ll be spraying the yard for scorpions and checking the pool every time before anybody takes a dip, KLAS said.
