He didn't even notice it at first: 16-year-old is bitten by a snake and dies
From Carola Frentzen
Brisbane - In Australia, a 16-year-old boy has been fatally bitten by one of the world's most venomous snakes outside his parents' home.
The eastern brown snake caught the teenager by the foot in Gladstone in the tropical state of Queensland, the 9News channel reported, citing the family. At first, the teenager did not even notice that he had been bitten and only later, when he was back in the house, did he suddenly collapse.
Snake bites are not always painful. Sometimes they look more like a light scratch or an abrasion. This can result in valuable time being lost to save the victim with an antivenom.
This was the case with the teenager from Queensland. He was eventually taken to Gladstone Hospital in a life-threatening condition and then flown to Brisbane in a rescue helicopter. However, all help came too late: the victim died on Wednesday.
"His death has left an indescribable void in our hearts and in the family," the relatives wrote in a statement.
Snake is considered the second most venomous in the world
In Australia, an average of one to two people die every year from snake bites - the vast majority in recent years from attacks by the eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis), which is found almost all over the country.
The animals are considered the second most venomous snakes in the world after the inland taipan, which is also native to Australia.