Queensland teenager Beau Horan dies after freak snake bite in his family’s backyard

A teenager who was bitten by a snake in the yard of his family’s home has died despite the frantic efforts of emergency services and doctors.

Beau Horan didn’t realise he’d been struck on the foot by a brown snake early on Monday afternoon until he began to feel unwell.

The 16-year-old walked inside his house in Wurdong Heights, just outside Gladstone in central Queensland, and collapsed.

An ambulance raced the boy to Gladstone Base Hospital, and he was later airlifted to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, where he was placed on life support.

Beau died late on Wednesday evening. His devastated mother, Bek Eddy, was by his side.

“This close to Christmas, it’s just awful,” family friend Shaun Connolly told news.com.au.

Mr Connolly described Beau as an outgoing kid and “a real little gentleman” who was adored by his sisters and brought “joy” to many people in his small community.

“I’ve worked with Beau’s mum for many years, my wife is very good friends with her too, so they’ve all become like family to us,” he said.

“They’re lovely people. They’re a really lovely family. This is just unbelievable.”

Mr Connolly has started a GoFundMe appeal on behalf of Beau’s mum to help support the family cover medical expenses and funeral costs.

In just 12 hours, the fundraiser had received more than $4800 in donations.

“His mum’s not good,” he said. “Her husband and their family are down there, so she’s got support. They’ll be heading home tomorrow, I believe.

“This is a really small community. We’re not a big town. Everyone knows each other, people look out for each other. This hits hard. It’s touched everyone.“

As well as shocked locals, strangers from across Australia have begun flooding the fundraiser to offer their support.

“It will help the family pay for medical costs and the funeral,” Mr Connolly said. “And maybe make sure they can have a bit of a better Christmas.”

Eastern brown snakes are incredibly dangerous and their venom is the second most toxic in the world, beaten only by the taipan, also an Australian native species.

However, deaths aren’t common as the eastern brown are seen as being reclusive.

When they do attack, they tend to be aggressive and fast-moving, according to Australian Geographic.

Given that Beau didn’t know he had been bitten, emergency services told the family that they believed the snake was a juvenile.

When paramedics arrived at about 1.50pm, Beau was found to be in a “life-threatening condition” and was rushed “under lights and sirens” to the local hospital about 20 minutes away, a Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson said.

In the GoFundMe, which Mr Connolly created with the assistance of one of Beau’s sisters, the “urgent medical care he received and efforts to save him” were praised.

“Beau was a vibrant, compassionate, loving young man with so much to live for with a bright future ahead of him,” the fundraiser read.

“His passing has left an indescribable emptiness in our hearts and the family.

“Your generosity will provide Bek and Beau’s family with some relief as the family navigate this overwhelming loss. Any support you can offer would mean the world to the family during this incredibly difficult time.

“We are forever grateful for your love, prayers, and generosity.”