WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Health Officials are cautioning Americans to be careful around snakes after an Australian boy died from a snake bite. 

An 11-year-old boy died after being bitten by a venomous brown snake, with his father mistakenly believing he had consumed alcohol and telling him to “sleep it off,” according to a recently released Coroners Court of Queensland report.

The boy, who was staying at a rural family property in Murgon in November 2021, had fallen off a ride-on lawnmower during a gathering and told a relative he thought he’d been bitten by a snake. The area was checked, but no snake was found, and his symptoms were dismissed.

Despite showing serious symptoms—slurred speech, vomiting, fatigue, and trouble standing—no medical help was sought. The father believed the boy had consumed alcohol, a claim later debunked by toxicology tests, which showed zero alcohol in his system.

The child was sent to rest in an outdoor donga (shed), where he was found unresponsive the next morning. An autopsy confirmed brown snake envenomation caused massive internal bleeding due to a condition called venom-induced consumption coagulopathy, which prevents blood from clotting.

Two faint puncture wounds—consistent with a snakebite—were later found on his ankle.

The coroner emphasized the importance of treating all suspected snakebites as medical emergencies, even when physical signs are hard to detect. Applying a pressure bandage, keeping the victim still, and calling emergency services immediately could have saved the boy’s life.

The father was initially charged with manslaughter, but the case was dropped in 2024.

Between 2001 and 2021, 47 venomous snakebite deaths occurred in Australia, 18 in Queensland. The Eastern brown snake is responsible for most fatalities.

The boy was remembered by his family as a “free spirit” who loved nature and animals.