An Australian field hockey player was bitten by a snake while attempting to get it off the pitch and died hours later, officials say.
A series of unfortunate circumstances led to the death of 26-year old Karl Berry on Tuesday; thinking the snake was non-venomous, he picked it up without hesitation and threw it into the bushes, suffering a bite in the process. Deciding not to seek medical attention, Berry then went on a run for training. Tragically, running only caused the venom to circulate through his blood stream faster than usual, and he collapsed. When paramedics arrived, however, Berry didn’t mention the snake bite for several minutes. Those minutes could have been the thin line between life and death.
“When the paramedics looked at his hand they saw the bite mark on his finger. The bite was more consistent with a bite from a poisonous species,” said St. John Ambulance Operations Manager Craig Garraway.
In fact, it was a Western Brown, considered to be one of Australia’s most dangerous snakes.
Berry reportedly picked up the snake because it was edging close to a group of children who were playing near the field.