80-year-old Australian Man Survives Tense Boat Ride with Deadly Tiger Snake!

Here are two interesting facts about tiger snakes. Firstly, they are one of the most venomous snakes in the Australian bush. Secondly, they can swim.

And for 80-year-old fisherman Bob Thatcher, that second fact resulted in the most horrible boat ride in his entire life.

One big tiger snake, one small boat

Mr. Thatcher was about 11 km away from the shores of Lake Wellington when he discovered the reptilian stowaway peeking out from one of the corners of his little vessel. It was about a third of the boat's length, leaving Thatcher with very little room to avoid.

In the end, he tossed a jumper over it, hoping that blocking its sight would give it less reason to move about. This was then followed by a very tense, and slow return to shore. Local snake catchers were then immediately notified to extract the animal.

Also read: 'Extremely Painful': California Man Attacked While Using Barbecue Tongs to Remove Rattlesnake

How to deal with tiger snake encounters

One of the things that make tiger snakes difficult is their on-and-off aggression. People who encounter one can never tell if it will bite (or worse, pursue). Other times, it can be relatively docile and it is enough to just walk away.

Still, as with any other snake, the standard procedure is always to remain calm and avoid making very sudden movements. Should you ever find yourself in a situation similar to Thatcher's (or want to better prevent it), keep the following tips in mind.

1. Try to gently cover it (if you can).

While you should never resort to harming the snake, covering it really does help. It restricts its movement while also keeping it from seeing you do anything that would give it a reason to attack.

2. Be mindful of the weather.

Snakes are more active during hot, summer seasons and will occasionally swim to cool off. Simply being aware of this should give you adequate reason to be vigilant and have the necessary countermeasures.

3. Have antivenom on hand.

Speaking of which, the presence of tiger snakes should also mean that anti-venom must be included in your first-aid kit. Nobody wants a worst-case scenario of being bitten. But when symptoms start to show and the bite was clearly severe, getting enough anti-venom is your only life-saving option. (In fact, it has been argued that having a single dose around may not even be enough for tiger snake bites.)

4. Get in touch with professional snake catchers.

When it is snake-bite season, knowing a snake catcher to call at a moment's notice can save you a lot of stress if you ever find one on a boat. Try to contact someone onshore even as you are getting back on land and keeping the snake contained. That way, catchers will arrive much sooner and you can get back on board.

On a final note, it is worth remembering that all snakes often end up in conflict with humans because most of their territory has been taken over by suburbanization. Despite this, that will not stop them from going where they need to go to feed, cool off and survive. It is best to still treat them with equal parts caution and care.

Also read: Snake Worms Spread All Over 15 US States