Dad dies after being bitten by deadly snake in child care centre
A beloved father has passed away after reportedly trying to remove an eastern brown snake from a child care centre in North Queensland.
Jeremy Brookes attended the child care centre on Tuesday afternoon after one of his relatives reportedly called him over to remove the snake, according to The Courier Mail.
Brookes was not a qualified snake handler and was bitten multiple times on his hand and arm.
According to Queensland Ambulance Service acting district director Paula Marten, Brookes then managed to drive to his Deeragun home but he soon went into cardiac arrest.
HIs wife performed CPR until paramedics arrived and he was rushed to hospital, but unfortunately could not be saved.
“(He) was found to be in cardiac arrest by our crews,” Marten said.
“The call was made by the patient’s wife, who then commenced CPR as the patient went into cardiac arrest.
“The information provided to us was that the gentleman had been bitten in a different location and attended back to his residence, where his wife has immobilised his arm and wrapped it, when the onset of the symptoms occurred.”
She added that snake bites were common in North Queensland and they were rarely fatal, but advised that if "you’re not aware of snakes, treat them as if they are venomous."
“It’s really important that you stay calm and keep the person calm.
“Apply basic first aid, which would be immobilisation and using compression bandages, and contact triple-0.
“If you are unsure about what first aid measures to take, call triple-0, and they will walk you through what you need to do for the patient.”
Eastern Brown Snakes are one of the most deadly snakes in the world, with the second most toxic venom.
They can be found across the east of Australia including the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, NSW and the ACT.
Brookes is believed to be the first person to have died from a snake bite in Australia this year.
Last year, two people died from suspected eastern brown snake bites in Australia.
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