A GRANDFATHER died yesterday after he was bitten on the hand by a snake at his north Queensland property.
Paramedics suspect the 62-year-old man was bitten by a brown snake or a taipan while walking through long grass on his property north of Townsville.
He was given first aid by his wife and granddaughter, who called emergency services at 8.56am after the man’s condition began deteriorating.
Paramedics tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the scene at Toolakea Beach, north of Townsville.
Attending critical care paramedic Michael Grainger said the incident was tragic and served as a reminder to be aware of snakes during the summer months.
“We did resuscitation as he needed lifesaving measures as soon as we got there but unfortunately we were unsuccessful in this instance,
“He was pronounced dead by attending paramedics and police shortly after.
“It’s a tragic loss for his wife, his daughter and two children also at the scene.”
The incident is the second serious snake bite in Townsville in the past six months.
A 55-year-old man survived after being bitten six times by a coastal taipan at Riverway in April.
With summer temperatures rising, Mr Grainger said Queensland Ambulance Service staff were bracing for a rising number of call-outs for snake bites and urged residents to brush up on first-aid skills.
“A lot of snake bites could be prevented and better education is needed on simple measures of what do to in case of snake bites,” he said.
“Snakes are more active during the hot summer months so when people are cleaning their yard or pick up rubbish, they should make sure they wear closed-in shoes and long pants as snakes could be hiding in the grass or large items.
“The other mistake people make is poor snake identification. People seem to think they know what kind of species they deal with.
“So in case someone is bitten, the best thing they can do is minimise exertion, place a compression on the wound and call triple-0.”
Originally published as Queensland man dies after snake bite
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