HONOLULU (KHON2) — Oahu’s south shore has some of the state’s most popular beaches. But after suffering from severe skin infections, some are warning others about harmful bacteria they got from the ocean.

Kaimuki resident Davey Temple says back in February she cut her foot on coral at the beach near the Outrigger Canoe Club.

“3 days later it just blew up into a big huge mess and I took myself to the hospital,” said Temple.

Temple says her cut got infected by Group A Strep and it was necrotizing or killing the tissue. Doctors even told her amputation may be necessary.

“I didn’t want an amputation so that’s one reason they worked really hard to keep my on IV for two weeks, otherwise I wasn’t going to be here,” said Temple.

Dr. Robert Schulz has worked with many patients who had necrotizing fasciitis also known as the flesh-eating disease. He says group A Strep can be invasive.

“The necrotizing fasciitis that is really aggressive is usually caused by group A Strep but it can also be caused by staph and other germs like that,” said Dr. Schulz of Straub Medical Center. “(Strep) is very common and is everywhere. Why it will impact so rapidly on some people we don’t know.”

“This past summer, this would be my backyard, my playground, and twice I have contracted cellulitis,” said Wai’alae Iki resident Guy Steele.

Steele tells us he got his skin infections being in the water near Kaimana Beach.

“Both times that I contracted it on the south shore I had open wounds,” he said.

But says he decided to take his chances. That’s something he says others should learn from and stay out of the water when it’s brown, when warning signs are posted, or if you have open cuts.

“I would advise people to take it very seriously and always having something to clean your wound the minute you get out of the water,” said Steele.

The Department of Health does have a beach monitoring program that provides public notifications when bacteria levels exceed a threshold level. The state can’t test all possible pathogens in the water, but they do check for Enterococci. Click here for more information.