How a Tiny Bump Turned into a Bacterial Streptococcus Infection So Serious Andrew Emmerig Nearly Lost His Arm

A father-of-two almost lost his arm due to a waterborne bacteria that entered his bloodstream during a dive during his annual Christmas holiday.

Andrew Emmerig, 48, from Warner in Brisbane, was on holiday on the Sunshine Coast, south-east Queensland, in December with his wife and two young sons.

He was staying at Cotton Tree Caravan Park when he noticed a small bump on his right bicep, which developed into a serious bacterial infection within hours.

Mr Emmerig was admitted to Sunshine Coast University Hospital with “gastrosymptoms”, he said, and a stabbing pain in his arm.

“It felt like a fire under my arm, especially in the elbow,” he said Cairns Post.

He claimed doctors wanted to send him home with a course of antibiotics before a surgeon stepped in to take a closer look at Mr Emmerig’s arm.

Mr Emmerig was moved to intensive care and put into a coma during his two weeks in hospital as surgeons fought to save his arm.

Specialists diagnosed strep, a painful and rapidly spreading skin infection, which removed the flesh from his arm and exposed the muscles and veins beneath.

Mr Emmerig said his ravaged arm looked ‘disgusting’ and admitted the possibility of losing his arm was ‘terrifying’.

But after four separate operations on the limb, amputation was finally ruled out.

“I was worried, but they said life is the most important thing… first save my life, then we can try to save my arm,” he said.

Nearly three months and eight operations later, he still has no feeling in his arm and years of rehabilitation ahead of him.

Mr Emmerig was transferred to intensive care and put into a coma during his two weeks in hospital as surgeons fought to save his arm

He said not being able to work has taken a toll on his mental health, but he is grateful he has had access to “incredibly good” healthcare.

Mr Emmerig said he will never fully regain feeling or full range of motion, but is lucky to have survived.

“My blood pressure dropped to zero twice and I almost died, it was very serious,” he said.

This comes after an Australian woman was told to have her leg amputated after a swim at another beach on the Sunshine Coast.

Celeste Stirrup, 52, was swimming with her granddaughter at Bulcock Beach when she contracted cellulitis from a mosquito bite on her leg.

She told Daily Mail Australia that her leg “looked like a piece of beef hanging in a butcher’s box” and that the past few months had felt like a “crazy nightmare”.

With the school holidays just around the corner and thousands of people expected to flock to Queensland beaches, Stirrup has issued an urgent warning to anyone heading into the water.

‘This shouldn’t happen to anyone. “A lot of people think salt water is healing, but if you have a bite or a cut, maybe you shouldn’t go swimming,” she said.

In the worst case, Mr. Emmerig was transferred to intensive care and was even in a coma for a while

Ms Stirrup questions the water quality at some of the region’s most popular beaches and calls for action to be taken.

“When ocean water is captured and collected and cannot flow in and out, it is called brackish water and it is perfect for bacteria to grow and thrive and is not good for swimming,” she said.

“The public should be made aware that this is not good water and there should be a warning sign.”

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation with questions about water quality at some beaches on the Sunshine Coast.

A department spokesperson said no specific water quality surveys are currently being conducted in these areas.

Significant pollution events can be reported to the Ministry of Environment, Science and Innovation’s 24/7 pollution hotline on 1300 130 372.