Player Dies Snake Bite: Australian Hockey Player Karl Berry Mistakes Venomous King Brown For Python

According to reports, a talented young hockey player died from a snake bite after he mistook the deadly venomous snake for a python. Karl Berry, 26, was bitten when he picked up the snake to remove it from the Commerce-Pints Hockey Club complex in Darwin. Berry was bitten on the hand, but did not realize the bite was poisonous and went on a 1.2 mile training run before collapsing.

During his run, Berry had collapsed and lost consciousness. An ambulance was called only when a group of people, who were also training, found him crawling out of a drain near the basketball courts.

When paramedics finally arrived, Berry was actually conscious and stayed awake long enough to give details about his experience up until that point.

According to Darwin snake catcher Chris Peberdy, a western brown snake's poison is 1.5 times more venomous than a cobra's. Peberdy also said that the most highly venomous snake to be found in the vicinity of the Marrara sports complex is a Western Brown, whose bite can go easily unnoticed because it doesn't hurt.

Daily Mail reported that Berry's father, Ian, said that his son was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital and was treated in the intensive care unit, but died from the snake bite on Wednesday night. He added that it still wasn't clear to him why his son had even picked up the snake in the first place.

"I was very, very surprised," he said. "He's actually quite knowledgeable [about snakes]."

Berry, also known as Mr. Hockey in Darwin, was captain of the A-grade side of the Commerce-Pints Hockey Club. He umpired, coached and represented the Northern Territory in under-15 and under-18 sides.