A Sunshine Coast school teacher is urging people to attend free trauma training workshops after being bitten by a snake at a bush camp.
Chris Grehan was at a weekend bush camp near Kilkivan about 12 months ago working as a cook when he felt something in the long grass brush against his ankle.
“I didn’t even look down, I thought it must have been a stick,” he said.
“I walked over to the group and pulled up a pew and sat down. The seat was quite low, so my knees were up, and I just happened to look down at my ankle and see blood trickling down.
“I wiped the blood away and saw two puncture wounds and thought, ‘that doesn’t look very good’.”
Southern Exposure Survival founder and camp facilitator Rick J Petersen applied a snake bite bandage.
“I sat down straight away and immobilised myself. I knew it was a serious situation, but I had a pressure bandage on, and I was in good hands,” Mr Grehan said.
After the bandage was applied, they contacted Triple Zero (000) and Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) paramedics were dispatched from Murgon.
The paramedics checked Mr Grehan’s vitals and inserted a canula. Due to the rugged terrain, the paramedics determined it would be quicker and safer for him to be airlifted.
The Bundaberg-based LifeFlight helicopter crew was then tasked by Retrieval Services Queensland (RSQ), who airlifted Mr Grehan to Bundaberg Hospital, where he could be assessed in an acute care environment.
“It was a dry bite, meaning that I wasn’t envenomated, but I didn’t know that at the time,” Mr Grehan said.
“The hospital staff told me the size of the bite, and the time of year indicated to them it was an eastern brown snake that bit me.”
Mr Grehan urged people to sign up for LifeFlight’s free trauma training workshops in the region.
“Queenslanders living in regional and remote parts of the state should take the time to do a workshop like First Minutes Matter,” he said.
“It offers the person who is injured reassurance, knowing they can be supported until emergency services can arrive.”
Mr Grehan said with school holidays underway, it was important people knew what to do in an emergency while outdoors enjoying the warm weather.
“The fact I had Rick and others that knew the procedures for a snake bite – his actions were prompt and effective and that gave me a lot of reassurance, and I was able to calm myself.
“The more people who have these skills, the safer our communities are.”
LifeFlight critical care doctor Oonagh Mitchell said people need to keep an eye out for reptiles as summer approaches.
“Many families will be out and about camping, hiking and enjoying Queensland’s beautiful scenery,” she said.
“It’s a big state and it can take time for help to arrive. It’s vital people know what to do.”
At an FMM workshop, participants are taught practical skills to manage life-threatening events such as snake bites, car crashes, strokes and farming accidents.
LifeFlight senior regional medical educator Leah Harrison said people can take important steps to avoid feeling helpless in a medical emergency.
“In many accidents and medical incidents, first responder care is a key step in a patient’s journey,” Ms Harrison said.
“Efficient and effective care not only increases the chances of survival for these patients but improves recovery times and long-term health outcomes.
“That’s why these courses are so important. The workshops are free and if you can invest six hours of your time, that’s all it takes to learn the skills to save somebody’s life.”
To sign up for a free in-person workshop or complete the online course visit firstminutesmatter.org.au.
LifeFlight is raising funds to help expand First Minutes Matter trauma training to equip more Queenslanders with the skills and confidence to help in a medical emergency.
To donate visit lifeflight.org.au/first-minutes-matter/survival.
