By Oliver Winn
An extended hot summer and 129 recorded snakebites means people of the Yarra Ranges must be weary of the threat
Ambulance Victoria (AV) emergency management director Dale Armstrong said of these cases, 125 people were transported to hospital.
“With hot weather continuing, the snakes are out, which means we need to be vigilant,” Mr Armstrong said.
It comes after ambulance crews had to work with the Upper Yarra SES on 5 February to retrieve a construction worker on the Warburton Mountain Bike (WMTB) Destination trail after he was reportedly bitten by a snake.
Upper Yarra SES unit controller Hannah Brunton told the Star Mail on Thursday 6 February there’s “a lot of snakes out and about” in the Yarra Ranges and called upon people to be mindful of the danger.
“I think people just need to be vigilant of where they’re walking and what they’re doing,” Ms Brunton said.
Most snakes in Victoria are highly venomous and a bite can be life threatening, but there are some basic first aid steps people should provide to minimise injury while waiting for an emergency services to arrive.
Mr Armstrong said “If someone is suspected to have suffered a snake bite, even if you’re not sure, you should call Triple Zero (000) immediately.”
People accompanying a victim of a snake bike should keep the victim still and reassured and only move them if it’s too unsafe to stay put.
Ms Brunton said due to the geography of the Yarra Ranges, emergency response times may be longer, so victims should provide as much information to emergency services they can give to identify the location.
The easier it is to identify the location “the better it is and the faster we can get out there,” Ms Brunton said.
Snake bites commonly occur on hands, feet or limbs, so applying a pressure immobilisation bandage to the affected limb can also make a big difference to the treatment and outcome of a snake bite incident.
The Australian Resuscitation Council recommends applying a pressure immobilisation bandage (snakebite bandage) starting at the fingers or toes and working up the arm or leg as far as possible, ensuring that the bite site is covered.
If a bandage has already been applied to the bite, or if the bite is covered with clothing, the pressure immobilisation bandage should be applied over this.
Snake bites may cause pain and swelling around the puncture wound, or there may be very few signs left on the skin.
Symptoms that snake venom has entered your body may include dizziness, blurred vision, breathing difficulties, nausea, muscle weakness or paralysis.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson confirmed that paramedics were called to an incident in Wesburn at around 3.15pm on 5 February.
“A male in his 20s was transported by road to Maroondah Public Hospital in a stable condition with lower body injuries,” they said.
