Death By Eastern Brown Snake
Submitted: Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 01:14
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WDR
I was talking to one of the
young cricketers who found the
young teenager/child who recently died in
Sydney's west.
All heresay this
(1) He was bitten on hand - makes you think.
(2) When they found the snake it had an item of clothing wrapped about it.
(3) The boy was black in face by the time he walked out and found the cricketers
(4) Boy I was talking to still has traumatic memories,
Put two and two together and it may add up to a complete lack ok knowledge for the dangers of snakes and what not to do when you see one,
As I said - all heresay and coroner may come down with different report and I crtainly don't want to upset the family however isn't it time we started including this subject in school curriculums if it is not already there?
Reply By: Footloose - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 09:17
Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 09:17
A tragedy, and I feel for his parents.
However, to suggest that"this subject be in school curriculum" is a bit sus.
Every second of teaching time is filled with bloated curriculum foisted on schools by the community. Which bit would you rather they not teach ? There isn't enough time in the day to get through what's there without adding anything.
Science? (now there's an ideal spot for snake awareness...the problem is that the child was aware and collecting the thing according to one report)
All too often, we as parents try and shift our responsibilities onto the schools.
Schools are not parents, nor should they be expected to be.
Has the child with traumatic memories had any form of counselling ? He sounds like he needs it, as such things can re surface much later in life and manifest themselves in many ways.
AnswerID:
226883
Follow Up By: Kumunara (NT) - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 12:46
Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 12:46
Footloose
This subject is covered in a
First Aid Course. I think everyone should do a
First Aid Course. It is a requirement for many jobs.
Yes it may bloat the curricuum but it is essential knowledge.
An interesting fact - 1 or 2 people die each year in Australia of snake bite. On average 33 people die each year from bee stings.
Tjilpi
FollowupID:
487762
Follow Up By: WDR - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 13:41
Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 13:41
I am not trying to dump on schools - sorry if it came across that way. I have a 17 and 10 year old and we back onto bush - snakes in backyard is not that unusual.
Just worries me that he did not seem to know what to do - ie apply some type of pressure bandage - stay put and quiet. He had a friend with him I think.
I used to work for a multinational and used to delight in letting O/S visitors who were going to stay here for a while read a book I have called "Australia's Most Dangerous Creatures" and then reminding them there was probably something within 10-20 metres at all times that could kill them.
In retrospect I probably did them a favour.
Cheers
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Blaze - Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 04:21
Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 04:21
I have some concern with most of these comments in that we seems to be assumed that Parents need not teach their children about the threats of snake bite and leave it until they are at school. I would hope especially seeing it was in NSW that most kids know the threats involved with handling snakes and spiders (funnel webs etc)
well before they head off to school and hopefully while teaching them to be aware of these threats. If we read the papers lately lets also hope they are taught by their parents about the most common predator (Humans) and I use the word human very loosely.
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Reply By: Gerhardp1 - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 10:20
Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 10:20
I read an article where the parents had been interviewed, and the boy had apparently been fascinated by snakes all his life.
It appears he was out hunting them, maybe catching and admiring them or collecting when he was bitten.
Not a chance snakebite at all. Very unfortunate for the poor kids who found him when it was already far too late.
AnswerID:
226903
Reply By: Bros 1 - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 16:17
Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 16:17
WDR,
I can remember when i went to primary school that Ram Chandra used to come around periodically to talk about and display snakes. Apparently they don't do that now. Could prove beneficial.
Cheers,
Bros.
AnswerID:
226962
Reply By: clog wog - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 19:56
Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 19:56
In regards to teaching children about snakes in schools is a hard one as the teachers are busy just getting through what they have on their agenda each day as it is. But perhaps bringing in outside help like Wildcare, Wires, NPWS for part of a lesson would be a good idea. But really is should be taught at
home as long as the parents know what the correct method is. St. Johns run wonderful day programs for children in the school holidays which covers snake and
spider bites + other
first aid, for $40 it is a great introduction for children.
Our local Scout group invites Wildcare each year to talk to the children about snakes and then the Leaders, during
first aid training, always run through the correct
first aid for snake bites.
Were we live, is Australia highest
population of tiger snakes on the mainland, and from the moment we moved here we taugth our children about snakes and what to do if they are bitten. They both know to stand still when they see a snake and how to apply a compression bandage, they can identify the difference between a tiger, brown and red belly black snake and have learnt to respect them and not fear them.
Statistics show that between 3000 to 5000 people are bitten each year in Australia and between 300-500 actually received anti-venom and 1-2 people die. Not bad statistics really when you consider that over 2500 people are killed each year on our roads.
Perhaps our next topic of discussion should be how we are going to keep our teenagers alive.
Clog Wogs Wife
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Redback - Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 08:38
Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007 at 08:38
Only one thing to remember when bitten by a snake or
spider; ......P.I.B.
PRESSURE..IMOBILISATION.....BANDAGE, from the second knucle on the hand all the way to the armpit, then a splint bandaged on.
DO A
FIRST AID COURSE
Baz.
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