Woman bitten by deadly eastern brown snake in Caboolture
A woman is lucky to be alive after she was bitten by one of the world’s deadliest snakes while trying to catch it in her South East Queensland backyard.
Regional News
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A woman is recovering after being bitten by an Eastern Brown Snake she mistakenly believed to be a harmless species.
Dan Rumsey from Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 was contacted on Saturday afternoon by a concerned woman seeking help for her 70-year-old sister, who had been bitten while trying to catch a snake at a private property in Upper Caboolture.
The sisters initially mistook the snake for a harmless brown tree snake and tried to capture it by placing it in a container.
During the attempt, the woman was bitten. Her sister quickly reached out to Mr Rumsey, who advised them to administer first aid and call triple-0.
After receiving a photo of the woman holding the snake, Mr Rumsey immediately identified it as the highly venomous eastern brown snake.
By the time Mr Rumsey arrived at the property, the woman was being transported to Caboolture Hospital by Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) paramedics. She was reported to be in a stable condition, has been treated with anti-venom, and is now recovering.
Mr Rumsey safely relocated the snake to nearby bushland. He used the incident to remind residents of the importance of avoiding direct contact with snakes.
“We can’t stress how important it is to leave snake catching to the professionals. The last thing we want is for anyone to get hurt, and unfortunately, that happened in this situation,” Mr Rumsey said.
“Even if you are 99 per cent sure you know what species of snake is on your property, remain at a safe distance and send us a photo for identification.”
Eastern Brown Snakes are responsible for the majority of snakebite deaths in Australia and should never be approached or handled without professional expertise.
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Originally published as Woman bitten by deadly eastern brown snake in Caboolture
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