THREE children had to be airlifted from Fitzroy Island on the weekend after falling victim to irukandji jellyfish.

Paramedics arrived by helicopter to the popular island near Cairns on Saturday after three kids were stung by the potentially fatal jellyfish.

Two boys, aged 16 and 9, and a 7 year-old girl had been swimming without protective stinger suits before being stung. They were flown to Cairns Hospital on Saturday night before being discharged yesterday.

Irkandji, which can be as small as a thumbnail, was linked to the deaths of two elderly French tourists while snorkelling south of Port Douglas last year. Both suffered heart attacks while swimming on the Great Barrier Reef.