THE PROVINCE (Vancouver, British Columbia) 13 October 06 Man fights for life after 'death adder' bites
Sydney (AFP): An Australian holidaymaker is fighting for his life after being bitten five times by a "death adder" after mistaking the world's second-most deadly snake for a lizard.
The 47-year-old man was struck repeatedly by the highly-venomous reptile after picking it up for a closer look at a water-skiing resort on the northwest outskirts of Sydney last night, rescuers said.
Fellow vacationers called for an air ambulance, but the deadly poison injected into the unnamed victim's system induced a massive heart attack.
The patient also suffered paralysis and was in a stable condition in hospital.