HERALD SUN (Melbourne, Australia) 26 October 06 Boy calm in attack by snake (Mark Buttler)
A boy has been flown to hospital after a terrifying snakebite ordeal in his schoolyard.
The 13-year-old was in the grounds of the Chairo Christian College at Nar Nar Goon, east of Melbourne, when the reptile struck aggressively yesterday.
"The snake sprang from the cut grass and wrapped itself around the boy's leg, sinking its fangs into his shin," Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokesman Phil Cullen said.
It is believed the boy was bitten by a brown snake about a metre long.
The snake slithered away as the boy raised the alarm he had been bitten.
Mr Cullen said school staff handled the crisis perfectly, applying a compression bandage and keeping the boy calm in a first-aid room until ambulance officers arrived.
The officers treated the boy at the scene before be was transferred by air ambulance to the Royal Children's Hospital.
Mr Cullen said the boy did the right thing by remaining calm, restricting the venom from spreading.
A hospital spokeswoman said last night the boy was in a stable condition.
The MAS warned people to beware of snakes as this was the time of year they started becoming more active.
Ambulance paramedic Neryllee Wearne warned that snakes were emerging as the weather became warmer.
She said anyone who fell victim should be kept still and calm while an ambulance was called.
A roller bandage should be applied from the top to the bottom of the limb to slow the venom's flow through the lymphatic system. "People should not wash the bite area, apply a tourniquet or suck the venom out, as seen in the movies," she said.
It was the second snake attack in the area in recent years. A man was rushed to hospital several years ago after being bitten by a black snake as he turned on a tap surrounded by bush at nearby Tynong North.
Boy calm in attack by snake