Man dies after being bitten by snake at Australia childcare center: reports

An Australian man died after he was bitten by a snake while trying to remove it from a childcare center, local outlets reported.

Jerromy Brookes, 47, was trying to remove a suspected eastern brown snake from the childcare center in Townsville, a city in Queensland, when he was bitten multiple times on the arm on Tuesday afternoon, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

Brookes, who was not a licensed snake catcher, was called to help remove the snake by a relative, 9 News reported.

After being bitten, Brookes drove himself to his home in Deeragun, a suburb of Townsville with the snake in his bag, the Cairns Post reported.

Queensland Ambulance Service acting district director Paula Marten told the Post that Brookes' wife performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

“(He) was found to be in cardiac arrest by our crews,” Marten said.

He was then rushed to the Townsville University Hospital but did not survive, 7 News reported.

Brookes was 'doing his very best to keep the children safe'

The Cairnes Post reported that Brookes is the first person to die from a snake bite in Australia this year. While snake bites are common in North Queensland they're rarely fatal, Marten told the outlet.

"When you’re bitten by a snake and you’re not aware of snakes, treat them as if they are venomous,” she said. "It’s really important that you stay calm and keep the person calm."

Eastern Brown Snake

Brookes is suspected to have been bitten by an eastern brown snake, considered one of the most venomous snakes in Australia. According to ABC, the snake that bit Brookes was slightly shorter than a foot long.

According to the Australian Museum, the brown snake is an "alert, nervous species" that often reacts "defensively if surprised or cornered, putting on a fierce display and striking with little hesitation."

The snake will usually choose to flee or remain still if it's approached from a distance.

"This species has the unfortunate distinction of causing more deaths from snake bite than any other species of snake in Australia," the museum wrote on its website. "Many bites have been a direct result of people trying to kill these snakes and could obviously have been avoided."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man dies after snake bite at Australia childcare center: Reports