Murgon boy Tristian Frahm's snake bite death 'preventable', coroner finds
A coronial inquest into the snake bite death of an 11-year-old boy has found that early medical intervention could have saved his life.
An inquest into the death of an 11-year-old Murgon boy who died after being bitten by a brown snake has found that he may have survived if he had received early medical intervention.
Tristian Jaemes Frahm died on November 21, 2021 at his family’s bush property in Murgon, due to internal bleeding caused by a brown snake bite.
The venom led to venom-induced consumption coagulopathy, a rare but severe complication.
During the inquest’s opening day back in June the court was told that in the hours before his death, Tristian complained of having a sore stomach and repeatedly vomited following the snake bite, which occurred after he fell off a ride-on mower.
The next morning, Tristian was found outside a temporary dwelling he had been sleeping in, surrounded by patches of vomit.
Emergency services were not called for about an hour or so, the court was told.
Tristian’s father Kerrod Frahm was initially charged with manslaughter, but the charges were later discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions in April 2024 after reviewing all evidence and ruling that “there was no reasonable prospects of securing a conviction”.
During the inquest Mr Frahm told the court he did not know his son had been bitten by a snake until after his death, despite telling police otherwise.
Mr Frahm said he was told his son had been taking Wild Turkey cans from an Esky, and he believed he was sick from the alcohol.
A friend, Jacob Bryant, was at the gathering and told the court that after Tristian fell off the ride-on mower, it was said that Tristian may have been bitten by a snake.
Mr Bryant said he, another witness, and Mr Frahm searched Tristian for signs of a snake bite, but said they did not find any signs, and it was said Tristian was joking about being bitten or had fallen onto a stick.
After Tristian started throwing up his father told him “if you’ve been sneaking my beers then go lie down you d--khead.”
Mr Frahm said he checked on, and cleaned vomit off his son throughout the evening, before finding Tristian dead the next morning.
In her inquest findings, coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard determined Tristian’s death was preventable with early medical attention.
She said the adults’ lack of awareness about snakebite symptoms and first aid, combined with their assumption that Tristian was drunk, had contributed to the tragedy, however no criminal or civil liability was assigned.
In the report medical experts explained that brown snake bites can leave minimal or no visible marks and that symptoms can be non-specific, such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain and early medical intervention, including pressure bandaging, immobilisation, and antivenene administration, could have saved Tristian’s life.
Based on the evidence that all three present adults observed nothing on Tristan’s body resembling what they understood a snakebite to look like, alongside the belief that Tristan had been drinking, the coroner determined it was reasonable for the adults to discount the possibility of snakebite.
The report also took into account evidence from Cairns Hospital emergency physician and toxicologist Mark Little who referenced a study undertaken in Darwin which found only about 20 per cent of people bitten by snakes had received appropriate first aid prior to hospital.
The coroner expressed hope that Tristian’s death would serve as a reminder of the importance of taking snakebite risks seriously and acting promptly to seek medical assistance.
“The onus rests with individuals to educate and protect themselves and those in their care,” she wrote.
“Let this be Tristian’s legacy.”
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Originally published as Murgon boy Tristian Frahm's snake bite death 'preventable', coroner finds
