Tristian Frahm’s mum’s plea for answers years after tragic snakebite death

Following a coronial inquest, a mother has vowed to never stop seeking the truth for her little boy after he was bitten by a brown snake and found dead hours later.

The father of an 11-year-old boy fatally bitten by a snake told him to “go lie down” after he mistakenly believed he had been drinking, a coroner’s inquest has heard.

The mother of an 11-year-old boy who died hours after he was fatally bitten by a brown snake has vowed to never give up “seeking the truth” on why her son died.

Shanade Zaulich spoke outside Toowoomba Magistrates Court following the conclusion of a two-day inquest into Tristian Frahm’s death, where she spoke about the bright and much-loved young boy.

“It has been four long and painful years since we lost our beloved Tristian,” she read from a family statement.

“Years of waiting, grieving, and pleading for answers that have still not come.”

Gold Coast mother Shanade Zaulich at the inquest into the death of her 11-year-old son, Tristian Frahm, who would be turning 15 in 2025.

The Gold Coast woman said her family was haunted by questions surrounding Tristian’s death.

“Tristian had reportedly said he’s been bitten by a snake (and) he was showing signs of medical distress; severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting.

“It was also suspected that he may have suffered a concussion from (the) fall.

“Despite all this, Tristian was not given the urgent medical help he so clearly needed.”

Mrs Zaulich said she and her family were not speaking out to assign blame, but because Tristian, who was a beloved son, grandson, and nephew, deserved better.

“We are calling for this case to be fully reviewed and properly investigated,” she said.

“We continue to grieve, but we will not stop seeking the truth for Tristian.”

Tristian Frahm with his grandmother, Samantha Skerritt, who said Tristian was “wise and kind beyond his years, with a heart so big he touched everyone around him”.

Tristian was bitten by an eastern brown snake at his father’s property in Murgon in November 2021, and was found dead the following morning in the yard.

Tristian reportedly said he was bitten by a snake on his leg when he fell off a ride-on mower, and a witness ran for help, saying he was unconscious and wouldn’t wake up.

Witnesses said there was confusion around whether or not he was bitten, and his father Kerrod Frahm told the inquest he first heard about the snake when Tristian was dead.

Mr Frahm said he would have taken Tristian to the hospital if he had known, and he thought the boy was ill from sneaking alcohol.

Clinical toxicologist Dr Mark Little told the inquest that if Tristian was taken to hospital, which was eight minutes away, he would still be alive today.

Dr Little said it was unusual for Australians to be killed by snakes, and Tristian’s case was very rare.

He said more often than not, when someone is bitten by a snake there is no mark left behind, and urged the community to treat possible snake bite incidents as an emergency.

“There can also be no symptoms, it can only be a mark or scratch or nothing,” he said.

Kerrod James Frahm had his manslaughter charge dropped – a Queensland Police Service spokesperson said the decision to drop the charge was not made by police. Picture: Liam Kidston

A photo was shown to the inquest, showing two scratches on the boy’s right outer ankle, however the active child’s body had a number a scrapes and bumps.

The inquest heard it would have made it difficult to detect the bite, especially given that Tristian had mud and grass on his legs.

Forensic pathologist Dr Christopher Day, who performed Tristian’s autopsy, said Tristian died of hypertension, cardiac arrest, and blood loss from a large bleed in his abdomen.

Dr Day said no alcohol was found in Tristian’s system.

The two-day inquest heard there were three adults at the South Burnett property when the incident occurred: Tristian’s father Mr Frahm, and his friends Jacob Bryant and a pregnant Rochelle Dorman.

Then men had been drinking, but they told the inquest that if they needed to drive, they could have done so safely, especially Mr Frahm who said he’d only had a few drinks.

Mr Bryant told the inquest that after the fall, he recalled Mr Frahm, his then partner Ms Dorman, and himself checking Tristian for a snake bite, however they couldn’t see anything.

Tristian’s maternal grandmother said, “he was our light, our joy, our everything, and the love he gave will forever take home in our hearts”.

He said, “in an instant”, it went from being a snake bite to Tristian just being drunk.

Mr Bryant said the boy’s father then told Tristian, “if you’ve been sneaking my beers, then go lie down you d********.”

However, Ms Dorman said her former partner may have been mistaken, because Mr Frahm was tending to the bonfire at that time.

The inquest heard Ms Dorman was woken by a witness during the night who said Tristian was very sick and calling for help, and she instructed the boy to be put in the recovery position with water.

The witness said they tried and failed to wake up Mr Frahm.

Sometime between 7am and 8am, Mr Frahm woke, finding Tristian “cold and stiff”.

The lead investigator into Tristian’s death, Detective Senior Constable Benjamin Van Der Lugt, told the inquest there was no phone reception at the property, but it could be obtained at the end of the driveway.

The Murgon property where the incident occurred is about two hours west of the Sunshine Coast in the South Burnett region. Picture: Google Maps

Mr Frahm said he told Mr Bryant and Ms Dorman to go and get his mother because he didn’t want to leave Tristian alone.

Mr Frahm’s mother, who lived 10 minutes away, called emergency services at 8.55am.

He told the inquest he didn’t call for help because he “panicked,” – “I just found my son passed away, I didn’t know what to do”.

When asked what he was doing at the property for 30 to 60 minutes before leaving himself, Mr Frahm said he was crying and pacing around.

Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard is expected to deliver her findings before the end of this year.

The inquest will not only analyse the circumstances surrounding Tristian’s death, but also aims to raise public awareness about the signs and symptoms of snake bites.

Originally published as Tristian Frahm’s mum’s plea for answers years after tragic snakebite death