Deadly Snake Bites Elderly Man Twice After He Accidentally Steps On It, Victim Survives

An elderly man in Australia, who was bitten twice by a highly venomous snake last month, has survived to narrate the incident.

Keith Jackson, 61, stood on the deadly eastern brown snake as soon as he took a step out of the back door of his home in Ilfracombe, Queensland, on Oct. 10. The man was barefoot when he accidentally stepped on the reptile. He was bitten twice on the toe of his right foot.

Recalling the incident, Jackson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, "I knew he bit me, I could tell, I felt him bite. Then I went to kick it away and he got me again."

Jackson immediately screamed for help. His wife and neighbors rushed to the scene and wrapped compression bandages around the foot before calling the ambulance. His condition deteriorated during the 20-minute drive to the hospital.

"He said, 'I feel a little bit sick and I don't feel right in the head.' Keith was in a full respiratory arrest within a matter of seconds," Queensland Ambulance Service advanced care paramedic Frank Smith told the publication.

Smith immediately pulled over and worked to stabilize the victim before setting off again to the hospital. The man had luckily started showing signs of regaining consciousness by the time they reached the hospital.

The man was administered anti-venom and airlifted to another hospital for further treatment. Jackson was discharged from the hospital earlier this week and was recovering at home.

Smith said Jackson’s wife and neighbors’ quick action managed to save the victim’s life.

"What they did, that's the first line of treatment, and it's the best line of treatment. To me, they've done the best thing that was possible," he added.

Jackson told ABC that he is now very cautious and takes each step very carefully.

"Everywhere I walk now I make sure I'm looking. I was going to get a tattoo there where he bit me … one of these days it'll happen," he said.

Eastern brown snakes are considered Australia's deadliest snakes and are found in open landscapes including woodlands and savannah grasslands.