Brown snake bite: Wild twist after ‘snake bite death in Queensland – as man’s real cause of death is revealed

A hero grandfather who grabbed a snake wrapped around his mate’s ankle didn’t have any snake venom in his system when he died. 

Donny Morrison, 68, was killed when the snake – believed to be an eastern brown – bit him after he pulled it off his friend at a rural Queensland school celebration.

Paramedics fought for 30 minutes to revive Mr Morrison before he is believed to have suffered a heart attack and died. 

His devastated family released a statement about his death on Thursday. 

‘We have received preliminary findings from the coroner’s office which confirm that there was no snake venom in Donny’s system,’ the statement read.

‘This therefore rules out snakebite as a contributing factor or cause of death.

‘It is believed that Donny may have had an underlying medical condition that he was unaware of.’

The exact cause of Mr Morrison’s death is still under investigation. 

Mr Morrison tragically died while attending Koumala State School’s centennial celebrations on Saturday. Pictured are festivities earlier in the day

Mr Morrison was with his wife Leanne and daughter Britt at Koumala State School’s 100th anniversary on Saturday, at a park 60km south of Mackay. 

His friend, 65-year-old Lloyd Younger, suffered a dry bite and was rushed to Mackay Base Hospital in a stable condition. 

He was released from hospital on Sunday. 

Mr Morrison’s family thanked those who had provided assistance and asked for privacy while they grieved the loss of their loved one. 

‘We offer our heartfelt thanks to all first responders and the many members of our Koumala community who provided assistance on the night,’ the statement said. 

‘These past few days have been exceptionally distressing for the family, and we kindly ask for privacy during this time to grieve our loss and bid farewell to Donny.’

More to come. 

Mr Morrison was with his wife Leanne and daughter Britt at Koumala State School’s 100th anniversary on Saturday, at a park 60km south of Mackay in central Queensland