A 47-year-old man’s wife desperately tried to save him after he was bitten by an Eastern brown snake while trying to remove it from a childcare centre near Townsville.
Jeremy Brookes, a father, husband and grandfather, died yesterday afternoon after he was bitten three times on the arm by the venomous snake.
Brookes was not a licensed snake catcher but was called by a relative and asked to help remove the snake from the grounds of a childcare centre.
While trying to remove it, he was bitten three times on his left arm.
Rather than calling Triple Zero, Brookes drove home.
A spokesperson from Queensland Ambulance Services said that his wife bandaged the bites, immobilising his arm.
Brookes entered cardiac arrest after the venom set it,
His wife and then paramedics attempted CPR before he was transported by paramedics to Townsville University Hospital, where he died that evening.
Professional catchers have warned that only licensed and trained experts should ever approach snakes.
Snake catcher Ben Avery said people should never disturb an Eastern brown snake.
Spot the venomous snake hidden in these stones
“Just do not touch it, call a licensed professional snake catcher,” he said.
“Neurotoxic venom, they are going to start affecting your muscles, your heart, and every single organ”.
The Eastern brown is the second-most venomous snake in the world.
Brookes is the first Australian to die from a snake bite this year, and his death will now be referred to the Coroner.
