By next morning, Tristian had passed. He had died sometime during the night and it was not due to alcohol but a deadly bite from a brown snake, which had actually taken place.

The inquest later proved that Tristian’s death was caused by the brown snake envenomation, a rare result of a snakebite, something that happens only 3% of the times. In such cases, it causes internal bleeding and cardiac collapse which is exactly what happened to Tristian.

Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard stated that the tragedy could have been prevented had Tristian recieved medical attention early, then he ‘would more likely than not have survived’.

The inquest also showed that the family property did not have phone reception, a first aid kit or internet. However, it was only a ten-minute drive from Murgon Hospital. Experts say that brown snake bites often do not leave visible fang marks but their symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and dizziness before an eventual collapse.