David Pitt, 77, went into cardiac arrest after highly venomous reptile bit him on the foot in his home in far north Queensland

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

An elderly man bitten by a taipan at his home in Queensland has died after spending nearly a week in hospital.

David Pitt, 77, went into cardiac arrest after the highly venomous snake bit him on the foot at his home in Yorkeys Knob, Cairns, on 20 December.

Pitt was attempting to remove the snake which had slithered into his lounge room when he was bitten. He was revived and taken to intensive care at Cairns hospital but died on Boxing Day.

The coastal taipan is Australia’s largest venomous snake, with some adults growing two metres long.