Man dies in front of family from 'brown snake bite'

The family of a man killed by a suspected brown snake bite were left helpless as he collapsed and died in front of them.

Paramedics were called to a home in the Townsville suburb of Deeragun about 5.30pm yesterday after a 46-year-old was bitten in the arm by a snake in his garden.

He collapsed in front of his family but could not be saved despite efforts by them and paramedics to resuscitate him. 

It's believed because the man was bitten in the arm, he could have been gardening at the time.

Authorities believe it was an Eastern Brown snake, measuring about 1.5m long.

Paramedics have recently been called to a string of snake bites in the area but noted it's highly unusual for them to be fatal.

His body has been sent to the Coroner to be examined. 

Brown snakes caused 23 of the 35 deaths from snake bite recorded between 2000 and 2016 by the National Coronial Information Service.

The eastern brown snake is an extremely venomous snake, native to eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea. 

It's considered to be on the world's most venomous snakes. 

More to come.