Overview

• Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard ruled that 11-year-old Tristian Frahm’s 2021 death was caused by brown snake envenomation leading to a major haemorrhage, a complication seen in about three percent of such cases.
• The inquest found he received no medical care while in the care of adults, who attributed his non-specific symptoms to alcohol despite later toxicology showing no alcohol in his system.
• Adults checked for bite marks and saw none, and the coroner emphasized immediate steps for suspected snakebite: call 000, apply a pressure immobilisation bandage, and keep the person still.
• Prosecutors had already dropped a manslaughter charge against his father in April 2024, and the coroner made no referral to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
• The property lacked phone reception, internet and a first-aid kit despite being an eight to ten minute drive from hospital, and an expert witness noted only about 20% of snakebite patients receive appropriate first aid before hospital.