A father has tragically died after trying to remove a venomous snake from a childcare center.
The heartbreaking tragedy occurred on Tuesday (March 19) when Jerromy Brookes was informed by a relative in Queensland, Australia to remove a deadly snake that was in Green Leaves Early Learning.
Although the 47-year-old was not a professional snake catcher, he went to capture the suspected venomous Eastern Brown Snake - which is known as the second most venomous snake in the world, per Billabong Sanctuary Townsville.
In an attempt to capture the viper, Brookes was bitten multiple times on his left arm and drove to his Deeragun home, in Townsville's outer west, with the snake in his bag to tell his wife about the incident, as reported by ABC Australia.
Unfortunately, the father-of-two went into cardiac arrest after arriving at his residence.
Queensland acting director of the Townsville district, Paula Marten, revealed that once Brookes became unconscious, his distraught wife tried to save his life by bandaging his arm and performing CPR until paramedics arrived.
He was rushed to the Townsville University Hospital in critical condition but tragically succumbed to his injuries. "(He) was found to be in cardiac arrest by our crews," Marten said. "The call was made by the patient’s wife, who then commenced CPR as the patient went into cardiac arrest."
"The information provided to us was that the gentleman had been bitten in a different location and attended back to his residence, where his wife has immobilized his arm and wrapped it when the onset of the symptoms occurred," she added.
According to Sky News Australia, a mom whose child goes to the learning center said it seemed Brookes' only worry was for the safety of the children. "What a beautiful person. This was at my child's daycare (sic). I am so grateful my child is safe and will forever keep him and his family in my heart," she added.
Brookes is believed to be the first person to die from a snake bite this year in Australia, per PEOPLE.
Marten said snake bites were common in North Queensland but they were rarely fatal. "When you’re bitten by a snake and you’re not aware of snakes, treat them as if they are venomous," she said.
"It’s really important that you stay calm and keep the person calm," she continued, advising those who have been bitten to apply basic first aid and immobilize the bite with compression bandages, as well as contact authorities. "If you are unsure about what first aid measures to take, call triple-0, and they will walk you through what you need to do for the patient," she added.
Professional snake catchers have warned untrained and unlicensed people against the dangers of attempting to approach the serpents, with snake catcher Ben Avery explaining: "Neurotoxic venom, they are going to start affecting your muscles, your heart, and every single organ," per 9 News.
Our thoughts are with Brookes' family and friends at this devastating time.
