Byron Bay dad Ben Blake wrestled snake from son’s leg after pool attack

A five-year-old boy has been left with bite marks and a new fear of snakes after he was attacked by a 3m python at his grandparents’ pool in northern NSW.

A five-year-old boy has been left with bite marks and a new fear of snakes after he was attacked by a python at his grandparents’ pool.

Little Beau Blake was playing around the pool with his older brother at his grandparents’ Byron Bay home on Thursday when a python launched from the garden “out of the blue” and latched onto his ankle.

The force of the attack forced Beau and the snake to the bottom of the pool, where the reptile wrapped itself around his ankle and up to his knee.

His mum Tesse Ferguson said both Beau and his brother Jet let out horrified screams as they noticed blood in the water.

Beau’s grandfather, Alan, 76, was the first person to react, jumping in the pool after the boy and passing him to his father Ben Blake.

Beau Blake was bitten by a python in his grandparents’ pool. Picture: Danielle Smith

Mr Blake worked quickly to separate the snake from the five-year-old’s leg, grabbing it as close to it head as possible and pulling it off.

“We do see snakes around,” he said. “But not like this. We are lucky it wasn’t the brown snake the neighbours spotted next door.”

Beau with his father Ben Blake, who ripped the snake off his son’s leg. Picture: Danielle Smith

Ms Ferguson received the call her son had been bitten while she was at work, and couldn’t believe what had happened.

“The first thing Ben said was ‘don’t worry, he’s OK’,” she said.

“But you wouldn’t think in a manicured backyard that a python is going to bite your child.”

Beau was taken to hospital and treated for superficial cuts to his ankle and given some antibiotics to stop any infection.

Pointing to his bandaged bite on Friday, Beau said “it bit me here, here and here,” but seemed otherwise unfazed.

His mum, however, said he was still shaken, and was suffering from a fresh fear of the reptiles.

“He’s mentally very shaken and I’m sure the fear of snakes will hang around for a little while,” Ms Ferguson said.

Beau’s ankle after the snake bite.

Ben Blake, with the snake that attacked his son.

“His older brother was screaming blue murder when he saw the blood so they are both still a bit shaken and scared.

“The main thing is that they are both OK.”

Mr Blake labelled his little boy a “trouper” and said he made a quick recovery after he understood the snake wasn’t poisonous.

Ms Ferguson said while Byron is a tropical area and it’s common to see a python or two around, she was shocked it attacked Beau in what is a mostly paved area.

“You know they are around, but not in that backyard,” she said. “And to jump out and grab a little boy, it’s certainly a shock.”

Mr Blake moved the snake into a natural canal after the shock attack, but while the family was at the hospital with Beau, it slithered straight back to the scene of the crime.

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