The victim was bitten three times by the second most venomous snake in the world, the eastern brown snake
A father died after being bitten by a venomous snake while trying to save a family member in Queensland, Australia on Tuesday, ABC Australia, 9 News and the Cairns Post reported.
Jerromy Brookes, 47, was bitten multiple times on the left arm by a venomous eastern brown snake — which is known to be the second most venomous snake in the world, according to Billabong Sanctuary Townsville.
Brookes was called by a relative at the children’s center about the snake. Although Brookes was not a professional snake catcher, he went to catch the snake and was bitten three times.
He then drove to his Deeragun home with the snake in his bag to tell his wife about the incident. His wife then tried to save his life by wrapping his arm and performing CPR after Brookes fell unconscious, said Paula Marten, acting district manager for Townsville, Queensland, the Cairns Post reports.
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Then, at around 3pm, paramedics were called to a home in Deeragun, Townsville, after Brookes was bitten, 9 News reports.
Before the ambulance arrived, Brookes suffered a heart attack. He was then taken to Townsville University Hospital in a critical condition, where he died later that evening, reports ABC Australia.
“When you’re bitten by a snake and you’re not aware of the snakes, treat them like they’re poisonous,” Marten said, according to the Cairns Post. “It’s really important that you stay calm and that the person is calm.” She also advised those bitten to provide basic first aid and immobilize the bite with compression bandages, as well as to contact the authorities.
Picture of an eastern brown snake.
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“The venom basically disrupts your clotting cascade at a very high rate, but as it does that, it also damages blood vessels, affects blood pressure, which in some cases can lead to collapse,” said Timothy Jackson, an evolutionary toxicologist in Melbourne. The University’s Australian Poisons Research Unit, according to ABC Australia.
He said a victim can experience cardiovascular collapse within half an hour of being bitten. Along with recommending immobilization, Jackson said victims should remain calm. For bite victims in remote locations, Jackson recommends trying to lower their heart rate as well as administering first aid.
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In addition, professional snake catchers have warned of the dangers of trying to catch and approach snakes.
Snake catcher Ben Avery explained that untrained and unlicensed people should not approach or disturb the eastern brown snake, according to 9 News. “A neurotoxic poison, they’ll start affecting your muscles, your heart, and every single organ,” Avery explained.
“The majority of fatal snakebites recorded in Australia have been from Eastern Browns,” according to Billabong Sanctuary Townsville. “Most snakebites occur when someone is trying to kill or capture the snake.”
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Brookes is the first Australian to die from a snakebite in 2024. Snakebites are common in the area, with Queensland Ambulance Service reporting six snakebites on its X (formerly Twitter) account in the last 48 hours.
A Queensland Ambulance representative did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Wednesday.
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Source: HIS Education