Home Australia Snake catcher Mark Pelley fights for life after a routine call-out went horribly wrong – as he suffers disturbing symptoms and cruel trolls attack his young daughter

Snake catcher Mark Pelley fights for life after a routine call-out went horribly wrong – as he suffers disturbing symptoms and cruel trolls attack his young daughter

by Elijah
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Mark Pelley was at work removing a snake from a Diamond Creek property on March 10 when his equipment malfunctioned, causing the snake to bite his hand.

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A respected snake catcher from Melbourne is fighting for his life after being bitten by a highly venomous tiger snake.

Mark Pelley was on a routine job to remove a snake from a property in Diamond Creek on March 10 when his equipment malfunctioned and, startled, the snake bit his hand.

His daughter Aishah Pelley said she saw him ‘lose consciousness very quickly in front of my eyes.’

“The venom went straight into his circulatory system from a deep bite and started having neurological effects immediately,” Ms Pelley said.

Pelley stopped breathing several times and she feared he was already dead as emergency services rushed to the property, she added.

Mark Pelley was at work removing a snake from a Diamond Creek property on March 10 when his equipment malfunctioned, causing the snake to bite his hand.

Mark Pelley was at work removing a snake from a Diamond Creek property on March 10 when his equipment malfunctioned, causing the snake to bite his hand.

Mr. Pelley was bitten on the hand and taken to the hospital

Mr. Pelley was bitten on the hand and taken to the hospital

Mr. Pelley was bitten on the hand and taken to the hospital

The single father of four received two doses of antivenom after the bite and is battling muscle, nerve damage and heart irregularities while being treated in intensive care.

In yet another cruel blow, trolls have attacked the family, claiming they are making a big deal out of the snake attack in a bid for attention. In response to the haters, Ms Pelley shared a video of her father in the hospital bed moments before he stopped breathing.

‘Get nasty messages saying I’m doing this for attention. Here is Dad in the hospital just before he stopped breathing.

‘The poison affected his neurological system and he could not open or control his eyes.’

In the video, Mr. Pelley Australians about never touching snakes.

“I can’t open my eyes and I feel so sick,” he said. This is what it looks like when you catch a tiger snake and it bites you.’

“Even someone as experienced as me can get bitten.”

Tiger snakes are notorious for their potent venom and aggressive behavior when threatened. They are responsible for the second highest number of snakebites in Australia.

With a venom that attacks the nervous, muscle and blood coagulation systems, tiger snake bites can prove fatal in just 30 minutes, causing paralysis, respiratory distress and organ failure.

Mark Pelley is pictured with a tiger snake during a previous job

Mark Pelley is pictured with a tiger snake during a previous job

Mark Pelley is pictured with a tiger snake during a previous job

Pelley's daughter Aishah is trying to raise money for the family while he is being treated in hospital

Pelley's daughter Aishah is trying to raise money for the family while he is being treated in hospital

Pelley’s daughter Aishah is trying to raise money for the family while he is being treated in hospital

Mrs Pelley looks after her three sisters and grandmother while her father fights for his life. She has now also taken over their family business and looks after the over 100 animals that her father looked after.

She has started a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the family and continue construction of a new reptile facility after the old office was flooded in January.

‘My father is my hero as a single father and sole breadwinner for our family and elderly grandmother. If you knew my father he would never ask for help, I am asking for your help at this time.

“When Dad comes out of hospital it can be a long time before he is able to work properly again,” she explained.

Many Australians have donated to the fundraiser, with more than $21,945 raised as of Friday morning.

“Mark has helped us on two occasions, removing a tiger snake from near our front steps and looking for a snake in a bedroom in our home,” wrote Sharyn Lanham.

‘We wish Mark a speedy recovery and strength to his family at this most difficult time.’

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