When Cassy Richardson fumbled a bit of rubbish near her bin last Easter, she didn’t think a whole lot of it.
That is until two fangs drove deep into her skin as she reached towards the bottom of her wheelie bin.
She knew, almost immediately, she’d been bitten by a snake.
But it was only when she noticed a slither of brown that she felt the pangs of panic.
“You always hear they [brown snakes] are the most deadliest ones,” Ms Richardson said.
Cassy Richardson believes her bite is from an eastern brown snake. (Supplied: Cassy Richardson/Chris Hay)
“And my biggest thing was to try and get help because I was home alone with my kids.”
Ms Richardson’s nursing training kicked in straight away.
She applied a snake bandage from her home first aid kit and kept her herself and her three young kids as calm as possible, turning the ambulance ride to Bendigo Hospital into a game for her little ones.
She’s certain that bandage, and her ability to stay calm, saved her life.
“I’m just glad that I had the knowledge there because a lot of people don’t know what to do, or they don’t think it’s going to happen to them,” she said.
Snake season
If it feels like snakes are slithering out of the wintry slumbers earlier than usual, you might be right.
According to the CSIRO, warmer winters and the results of climate change could be making snakes appear earlier than expected.
Sixteen-year-old Alek Harrison found that out the hard way when he tried to relocate a snake from a path at school to some nearby scrub in August.
The eastern brown snake bit his finger for his troubles.
Alek Harrrison needed hospital treatment after his snake bite. (Supplied: Jessica Harrison)
He was rushed to hospital in Central Victoria where he fully recovered from the surprise attack.
His mother, Jessica Harrison, said the experience served as a good lesson.
“I’m telling him to stay well away from snakes and anything else that can do you harm,” Ms Harrison said.
“And leave the removal to the professionals.”
It’s a sentiment Bendigo-based snake catcher Tameeka Stevens agrees with wholeheartedly.
She said she had seen an increase in people getting bitten either trying to move or handle snakes, potentially spurred on by social media stunts.
Tameeka Stevens provides ethical snake relocation services in the Bendigo area. (Supplied: Greater Bendigo Snake Control)
“People are either trying to harm or kill snakes,” Ms Stevens said.
“People also think they can pick up a snake and move it themselves … we are seeing that due to the exposure of snake catchers on social media.”
What to do
It may seem impossible after the shock of a snake bite, but staying as calm as practicable makes a huge difference to recovery rates, according to St John’s Victoria first aid trainer Katie Pai.
“If you’ve been bitten you need to lay down and not move,” Ms Pai said.
“Let’s say you’re bitten on the ankle. You want to keep the venom down there, not spreading up the rest of the body.
“Then you would want to apply a compression bandage starting at the person’s foot and wrapping it up the leg.”
First aid professionals say staying calm is key when bitten by a snake. (Supplied)
Ms Pai said even if someone was on their own, keeping still was vital.
“You may have to put your phone on speaker when you call triple-0 and keep very still, while you wait for them to come to you,” she said.
Are all bites deadly?
Australia is home to more than 200 different species of snakes.
Of those, 65 per cent are venomous, but only 32 per cent are considered dangerous, meaning their bites have the potential to be life-threatening.
Despite this, Ms Stevens said people should treat every bite as dangerous.
“You can have anywhere up to six or eight hours before you might start feeling the effects of venom,” she said.
“But if you follow first aid procedures straight after a bite, your survival rate increases significantly.”
As for Cassy Richardson, she’s replaced her used snake bandage and made some simple changes around the home.
“It’s now hubby’s job to take the rubbish out,” she said with a wry laugh.
But that’s not all that’s changed.
She’s become an accidental advocate and is pushing for compression bandages to be seen as a staple in first aid.
“I’m a big advocate for each household to have a first aid kit with a compression bandage in it,” she said.
“It’s just one of those things and it can be the deciding factor between life and death.”
St John Ambulance advises anyone who is bitten should lie down, apply an immobilisation bandage and call triple-0.
Local councils can provide home or business owners with a list of licensed snake controllers.
