Australia Sea Snake Kills British Fisherman Pulling in Net

A sea snake killed a British fisherman who was working on a trawler off the northern Australian coast. He was bitten while pulling in a net and died before a rescue helicopter could reach him.

A police statement said Friday that the 23-year-old man was bitten in waters off a remote part the Northern Territory coast on Thursday. The man has not been named.

Sea snakes are highly venomous but are not aggressive, so humans are rarely bitten in Australian waters.

A rescue helicopter with a medical team was sent from the city of Darwin. CareFlight spokesman David Wheeldon says that during the flight of more than 435 miles, the crew were informed that they were too late.

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