By Cristina Hodgson • Published: 27 Nov 2019 • 22:00
BRITISH BACKPACKER KILLED BY DEADLY SEA SNAKE WHILST WORKING IN AUSTRALIA Credit: Shutterstock
A DEADLY sea snake fatally bit a British backpacker in a terrifying Australian ocean attack.
Harry Evans, 23, was fatally bitten by what is believed to be a black banded sea snake while working on-board a prawn trawler in Australia. The incident occurred October 4 last year some 75km North-east of Bing Bong in NortNorthern Territory’s Gulf of Carpentaria.
According to English news reports, a court has heard how Mr Evans was folding nets, in which the serpent had become tangled, when he was bitten on the finger.
He was reportedly not wearing gloves when the attack happened. Moment later he began convulsing.
Mr Evans lost consciousness after asking “am I going to be alright?”.
It has been revealed during the inquest that the vessel’s first mate, Chad Hastings, had not known about the danger of the creature and had told Mr Evans he would “be fine”
Reports by NT News indicate that Mr Hastings only discovered how venomous the snakes were after Googling the British worker’s symptoms.
That was when Nicholas Huard, the skipper of the WA Seafood Exporters, made an emergency call and applied a compression bandage.
As Euro Weekly News understands, by the time medical staff arrived six hours later, Mr Evans had lost consciousness and was unable to be saved.
The court also heard the skipper regretted not contacting the Englishman’s family when Mr Evans’ condition deteriorated.
In a heartbreaking statement the mother told how there were “no words to describe” what had happened to her son.
Stressing how important it was to somehow put in place “anything to prevent or avoid anyone suffering” as “Harry’s family or friends are,” adding that she had lost her “reason for everything” and her “purpose.”
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