# Snake bite kills man after NSW floods



## Snowman (Mar 13, 2013)

A man who had to be rescued from floodwaters after being bitten by a snake on the New South Wales mid-north coast has died.

It took emergency services about three hours to reach the man after he was bitten on the hand by a venomous what is believed to be a stephen's banded snake at a rural property, south west of Bellingen earlier this month.

Flooding, torrential rain and the remote location hampered the rescue effort.
The 60-year-old Kalang man did not reach hospital until seven hours after he was bitten.
He was unconscious at times, and in a critical condition when he received anti-venom treatment.

The man was transferred to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital where died at the weekend.

Park ranger Anton Ingarfield says the type of snake involved is a threatened species that is found between the Gold Coast and Newcastle.

"It's usually unlikely for people to come into contact with them," he said.
"It may be because of the flood situation, they tend to move a bit away from their normal haunts, and might come in contact with people.

"But most of the time these snakes don't come into contact with people, it's a bit of an unusual case." 

A funeral for the man will be held next week.

Snake bite kills man after NSW floods - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


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## SteveNT (Mar 13, 2013)

I wonder if he even recognised it as a ven?


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## Ambush (Mar 13, 2013)

Sad


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## fourexes (Mar 13, 2013)

It still surprises me the contrast in most peoples attitudes with snakes, some will run for the hills and others are too confident for their own good. Some people want to shovel them others want to play with them. Not enough people respect them.

Not saying either was the case here, not enough information to speculate. The hampered rescue effort was a sad story indeed.


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## Channaz (Mar 13, 2013)

Tragic.

It sounds close to a common nightmare for me... being tagged in a remote spot, waiting for help, wondering if it will get there in time. Poor guy.


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## sharky (Mar 13, 2013)

wow, poor guy. He must have been scared stiff wondering if he would ever be found and someone would help him.


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## saratoga (Mar 13, 2013)

Pretty sad. I wonder if they can confirm it was a Hoplocephalus and if so would this be the first fatality from one?


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## Dendrobates (Mar 13, 2013)

Apparantly it's not 100% and they aren't ruling out the bite being from a roughie. If it was a Stephens though, it will be the first recorded Hoplo death.


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