Narelle Pails loved life and her kids.
The 42-year-old Queensland nurse died after being bitten by a snake, reportedly while at home gardening, on Wednesday.
An ambulance was called to the family property at Wheatvale, 16km west of Warwick, at 4.50pm. Ms Pails was treated at the scene and was later transported to Warwick Hospital, where she worked, in a critical condition. Staff treated her with antivenom but she died at 7.05pm.
Narelle Pails and her daughter Emma.
Photo: Warwick Daily NewsQueensland Health have refused to confirm what type of snake bit Mrs Pails or where she was bitten.
Family friend Paul Morris said it was a sad and shocking loss for the family and the rest of the community.
Mr Morris said he knew Mrs Pails, husband Paul, son Nick, 15, and daughter Emma, 18, through their long association with the Wattles Rugby League Club.
“They are a great family and she was great a person and she will be sadly missed, I’ll tell you that,” Mr Morris said.
Mr Morris said Mrs Pails was a hands-on parent and attended her son’s football games and regularly helped out within the club.
Yesterday, Queensland Health’s director-general denied there were inadequate supplies of antivenom at Warwick hospital, where Mrs Pails died.
A police spokesman said officers had been asked to transport a vial of antivenom from Stanthorpe Hospital to Warwick Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, in a move that Queensland Health director-general Tony O’Connell said was a precaution.
‘‘There are 14 vials of antivenom kept at Warwick and there was not an issue with the adequacy of antivenom supplies in that case,’’ he told reporters in Brisbane.
‘‘We always try to keep the number of vials at the maximum so we’re ready for the next case that comes along.’’
Snake bites can be deadly even when antivenom was available, he said.
‘‘If a snake venom gets into the bloodstream straight away rather than just being deposited into the muscles then it’s a much more difficult challenge to maintain the patient,’’ he said.
Snake catchers and the government have warned residents in the state’s south east to be wary of snake activity heading into the summer months.
Matt Harley of Queensland Snake Relocation said snakes had been very active so far this wet season.
The snake catcher, who mainly works in south Brisbane, has already caught more snakes this Spring than he did for all of last year’s snake season.
He said he was catching approximately two to three snakes a week, an increase in activity that Department of Environment and Resource Management senior ranger Greg O’Neil put down to an increase in available food due to the last two wet seasons.
“It’s not that there has been more snakes, it’s more likely that we are seeing an increase in the visibility of snakes who are out searching for more plentiful food sources,” he said.
To avoid attracting snakes to their yards Mr O’Neil suggested residents keep their yards clear of rubbish and tin which might harbour the animals.
“People should also get rid of their food sources – rats or mice – that’s what they are looking for,” he said.
He recommended people speak to their children about what to do when they see a snake and make them aware of the appropriate first aid.
Mr Harley said if a snake was inside a house, the residents should attempt to seal the room, by closing doors and windows and putting a towel under a crack in the door, before calling a snake catcher.
If the animal is in their yard, he recommends leaving the animal alone unless it returns.
The Department of Environment and Resource Management hotline provides contact details for snake catchers by calling 1300 130 372.
Snake Repellents can be purchased at www.liquidfence.com.au/snake
