Every gravel rider has a nightmare scenario. For one Australian cyclist, hers slithered straight out of the bush and into her drivetrain.

The woman, in her sixties, was riding along the Northern Rivers Rail Trail near Burringbar in the Tweed Shire on Wednesday 15 July 2026 when she rode over a two-metre eastern brown snake. The reptile, one of the world’s most venomous land snakes, became entangled in her chain and bit her on the thigh before she could react.

NSW Ambulance said paramedics reached the scene near Upper Burringbar Road at around 13:00 local time. The rider was taken to Tweed Valley Hospital in a stable condition. By sheer fortune, the bite was a “dry bite” that failed to inject venom — a reprieve that arrived, fittingly, one day before World Snake Day. She was discharged the following morning.

Freeing the snake was its own ordeal. Snake catcher Sarah Mailey found the animal’s midsection wedged in the chain while its head thrashed free, still capable of striking. She pinned the head to prevent it from biting again while onlookers worked the rest of the snake loose. The snake, it turned out, had a pre-existing eye injury that may explain why it never saw the bike coming. Given its injuries, it was later euthanised.

A reminder of the stakes

The outcome could have been far graver. This publication reported in March 2026 on the death of 25-year-old Southern California mountain bike racer Julian Enrique Hernandez, who was bitten by a rattlesnake in February while training near Irvine and died weeks later after falling into a coma.

Fatal snakebites remain rare. In the United States, about 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, with roughly five deaths annually. However, both cases underline how quickly a routine ride can turn serious when a snake is involved.

If you’re bitten

  • Stay calm and stop riding. An elevated heart rate can speed the circulation of venom.
  • Keep the bitten limb still and below heart level where possible.
  • Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage if trained and equipped. Wrap firmly over the bite site and along the entire limb, then immobilise it with a splint.
  • Do not cut the wound, suck out venom, apply ice, or use a tourniquet. These outdated methods can worsen the injury.
  • Call emergency services immediately and note the time of the bite and a description of the snake, without attempting to catch or kill it.
  • Get to a hospital as quickly and safely as possible, even if symptoms seem mild at first. Some venoms take time to produce serious symptoms.

Riders in areas known for snake activity may want to carry a compression bandage as part of their standard kit, alongside a well-charged mobile phone.

Photo Credit: I’ll Catch It Snake Relocations

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