Brown snakebite: Wild twist after snakebite death in Queensland – as man’s true cause of death is revealed
Brown snakebite: Wild twist after snakebite death in Queensland – as man’s true cause of death is revealed
- Man died after being bitten by a snake
A heroic grandfather who grabbed a snake wrapped around his partner’s ankle had no snake venom in his body when he died.
Beloved grandfather Donald Morrison
Donny Morrison, 68, was killed when the snake – believed to be an eastern brown snake – bit him after he ripped it off his friend at a rural school function in Queensland.
Paramedics struggled to revive Mr Morrison for 30 minutes before he suffered a suspected heart attack and died.
His devastated family released a statement on his death on Thursday.
“We have received preliminary results from the coroner’s office confirming that there was no snake venom in Donny’s body,” the statement said.
“This rules out the possibility that a snakebite is a contributing factor or cause of death.”
“It is suspected that Donny may have had an underlying medical condition that he was unaware of.”
The exact cause of Mr Morrison’s death is still under investigation.
Mr Morrison tragically died while attending Koumala State School’s centenary celebrations on Saturday. The picture shows celebrations earlier in the day
Mr Morrison was with his wife Leanne and daughter Britt on Saturday at the 100th anniversary of Koumala State School at a park 60km south of Mackay.
He spotted the snake as it wrapped itself around the ankle of his friend, 65-year-old Lloyd Younger, and bravely leapt into action.
Mr Younger suffered a dry bite and was taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition. He was released from the hospital on Sunday.
Mr Morrison’s family thanked those who provided assistance and asked for privacy as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all first responders and the many members of our Koumala community who provided assistance during the night,” the statement said.
“The last few days have been extremely stressful for the family and we kindly ask for privacy during this time to mourn our loss and say goodbye to Donny.”
There’s more to come.
Mr Morrison was with his wife Leanne and daughter Britt on Saturday at the 100th anniversary of Koumala State School in a park 60km south of Mackay in central Queensland