Two-metre taipan turns on snake wrangler

Daily Telegraph
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22833284-421,00.html

November 28, 2007

A CAIRNS snake wrangler is lucky to be alive after being bitten by a 2m taipan - the world's third-most venomous reptile - on an expedition in remote Cape York

Tom Parkin - a wildlife handler at Hartley's Creek Crocodile Farm - is out of a coma and stable in the intensive care unit at Cairns Base Hospital.

He needed nine vials of anti-venene to counteract the bite to his right armpit.

Best mate Brendan Schembri yesterday described the ordeal as the scariest time of his life. "Watching your best mate literally dying beside you when you are miles from anywhere is beyond horrible," he said.

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Update*

QUOTE (Brenden)

G'day Guys,

Just got back from the hospital and thought I'd update you on Tom's situation.
He was bitten on the right shoulder. A spot where pressure bandages serve no purpose. We still applied pressure to the site regardless.
He has received 7 vials of anti-venom. He is in a serious but stable condition. Still in an induced coma but has been responding to requests (moving fingers, moving lips etc.) when sedatives are eased.
The tai was 7 foot + and it was an extremely fast snap and release bite. Apparently it was a monster envenomation. It just happened so quick.
His condition has improved to some degree. He had fixed pupils (not responding to light) for many hours but they beginning to respond and a CT scan proved there was no bleeding.
His body is beginning to over-come haemotoxins which is awesome.

By the time we reached town (40min of 4wd track) he was vomiting, having trouble breathing along with many other earlier symptoms such as drowsy eyes and tingling. Two minutes later he couldn't feel his legs and then his arms.

He was rushed by ambulance to cooktown, another 30min away where the VDK proved it was a taipan and he was given 1 vial.

When he was stable I left for Cairns hospital by road. Tom was flown down by the RFDS.

By far the scariest time of my life, watching your best mate literally dying beside you when your miles from anywhere is beyond horrible. I can't imagine how Tom was feeling and to be honest, I don't want to.

Brendan.

Tue Nov 27, 2007

QUOTE (Brenden)

Tom is out of the coma and has regained feeling in his arms and legs. He is off life support. He is unable to talk properly as a result of paralysis, a typical effect of taipan bite, one he should recover from. His pupils are still fixed to some degree.
He has been communicating with up through writing and its great to see he still has his sense of humour.
Brenden

Not an experience I envy.

No me Either! He's still in ICU. Got quite a dose apparently!

Being on a ventilator in ICU is no joke. I did a couple of days of that listening to my heart monitor.
A very, very lonely place that is. One is able to hear everything around you but unable to communicate or even move an eye. Most medical staff thinks you are in a comma but that is far from the trueth.

Hope the chap does a full and speedy recovery.