A five-year-old boy had to be rescued by his grandpa after being bitten, constricted, and dragged into a swimming pool by a python.
The incident took place in New South Wales, Australia, where the family was enjoying a day by the pool at a residence on Thursday.
The boy, Beau Blake, is in good condition after the incident with the 10-foot-long snake and was even in good spirits after realizing he had been saved by his grandpa.
Speaking to Melbourne radio station 3AW, the boy's father Ben said: "Once we cleaned up the blood and told him that he wasn't going to die because it wasn't a poisonous snake... he was pretty good actually."
"It was instant, I saw a big black shadow come out of the bush and before they hit the bottom, it was completely wrapped around his leg," Ben recalled.
Fortunately, Grandpa Allan, 76, was on hand to save the day. He pulled Beau from the water whilst he was still ensnared by the snake and gave him to Ben. "He passed him up to me and then I had to separate the two. I released him from his leg," the father explained.
Ben explained that they are continuing to monitor his son for any signs of infection around the snake bite and called him an "absolute trouper". The snake was put back in the bush where it came from and hasn't come back since.
Speaking to 7News, a snake catcher described the incident as "a freaky incident". He explains that it is currently breeding season for the snakes and he is catching up to 20 a week.
His advice to anyone who comes face to face with one of the reptiles is to not attempt to catch or kill it, but instead to call a professional.
According to the CDC, around 7000-8000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year but only about five of those people will die. This is largely due to medical care being able to fight the venom.
It sounds like Beau had a lucky escape, and it was a good thing Grandpa was there to save the day!
