Deadly Snake Bite: Fictional Character's Survival Advice Saves 9-Year-Old Girl's Life
While it’s cliché to claim that fictional characters can sometimes seep into our real lives, the statement rings true for little Grace Tenuta from Geelong in Australia’s Melbourne. A fictional character saved the child’s life.
Apparently, the 9-year-old girl survived a snake bite because she followed to a T the instructions of survival expert Russell Coight, played by Glenn Robbins, in the popular mocumentary TV series "All Aussie Adventures."
The girl was bitten by a tiger snake while she was playing in the backyard of her home last week. The child, however, kept her cool as she knew exactly what needed to be done.
"She had been watching and catching lizards most of the morning, so she went to the sound, thinking it was a lizard, but it was a really large tiger snake curled up. It was rearing up and hissing at her and as she jumped back, it bit her on the foot," Grace's mother, Louisa, said while speaking on 3AW Radio on Tuesday.
"I asked Grace to stay calm and not move, but she told me, 'It's okay, mum, I know what to do because Russell Coight taught me. I need to stay calm, immobilise the leg and call for help,'" she added.
The girl followed the instructions of her idol while they were waiting for the ambulance.
"While we were lying there waiting for the ambulance she kept saying, 'I really can stay calm, Russell Coight said just stay calm,'" Louisa said.
The girl was treated at the hospital and was released the following morning. She was recovering well.
Meanwhile, Grace got a chance to have a conversation with her idol on the radio show. He congratulated her for following his "great" advice.
"I just want to say congrats on your great work and following all the rules I've set out. It's very, very great. Do you think perhaps your mum might want to nominate me for Australian of the year?" he said on the show.
Tiger snakes are considered highly venomous and are usually found in the southern regions of Australia.