Snake bite kills Northern Territory hockey player

A Darwin hockey player has died after a snake bit him on the finger at a training session.

Paramedics were called to the Marrara Sport Complex last Tuesday night following reports that a player had collapsed and lost consciousness.

Karl Berry, 26, had picked up a snake that was loose at the hockey complex, the snake apparently being close to a group of children. However, Berry did not realise that the snake had bitten him, his father later telling ABC local news "he (then) went to do his warm-up run for his training, and he never came back from it."

Berry collapsed during his run.

Testing later revealed Berry had been bitten by a western brown snake.

St John ambulance spokesman Craig Garraway said Berry was conscious when paramedics arrived to attend to him, and that it took some questioning to uncover the details of the snake.

Garraway stated "after some discussion and investigation, we became aware he had picked up a snake ... and further investigation (showed) it had actually bitten him on the finger.

"He had signs and symptoms of snake bite (and having) been on a two-kilometre run, (his blood) circulation had increased during that run."

Berry was taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital were he was treated in the intensive care unit, but died on Wednesday night.

Berry was known as 'Mr Hockey' in Darwin's sport community.

Senior hockey players in Darwin will have a minute's silence before all games this weekend to remember him while the NT Hockey Association says A-grade players will wear black arm bands during all matches this weekend.

6th October 2011 - NEW MARRARA FACILTIES A BOOST FOR NT CRICKET