Beach day interrupted when deadly snake slithers under woman’s towel

PERTH beachgoers had their relaxing weekends interrupted when a deadly snake slithered in-between sunbakers and settled under a woman’s towel.

A TRIP to the beach comes with a number of risks.

As Australians we know that if we go for a swim at the beach we might get caught in a rip, cop a nasty bluebottle sting or even come face-to-face with a shark.

And it’s not just the water that poses a threat, sitting in the burning sun for hours on end can also do some serious damage.

But there are some situations that you just don’t expect to find on the beach, like a highly venomous snake curled under your beach towel.

Watching a snake slither underneath your towel probably isn’t something you want to see during your relaxing day at the beach. Picture: Caters TV

The snake, thought to be a Dugite, was spotted slithering in-between beachgoers at Hamersley Pool in North Beach, Perth, around 11am on Sunday, before finding a spot to rest under a woman’s towel.

Dugites, also known as spotted brown snakes, are known for their “highly toxic” venom and reportedly make up around 70 per cent of all snake bite incidents in hospitals around Perth but has thankfully only been responsible for one recorded fatality.

“We were just sitting there on the beach and suddenly it came sliding along past everyone and then ended up under a lady’s towel,” Lisa Houlihan, who was at the beach with her family at the time, told The West Australian.

“We all jumped up and headed to the car park. I called the ranger from the Stirling council but they said they were only able to pick up dogs and pets. They gave me the number for wildlife people and apparently they only collect snakes from households.”

A video captured the moment a brave man removed the towel that the snake was hiding under, showing the snake waiting for a moment before going on it’s way.

One the towel was removed bystanders say the snake waited a moment before moving off into the sand dunes. Picture: Caters TV

“We live in Australia, so there are always going to be snakes around. But you don’t really expect to see one on the beach like that,” Ms Houlihan said.

She said there were around 20 people on the beach where the snake was spotted and voiced concerns that no one she contacted was able to get rid of it.

Professional snake catchers charge a call-out fee of around $50 per half-hour.

“How do you work out who pays for that?” she said.

The City of Stirling’s parks and sustainability manager Ian Hunter said the council’s trained reptile catchers were unavailable on weekends.

According to Mr Hunter it is not uncommon for snakes to be seen moving across the beach during summer and spring.

“Natural areas such as coastal dunes, bushland and wetlands form part of the natural habitat for snakes,” he said.

“The occasional movement by snakes into adjacent areas that are used by the public is not unusual.”