Being a 21st-century mom has a lot of perks, but one of modern motherhood‘s biggest blessings is also one of its biggest drawbacks: over-information. Before the internet, parents relied on their communities to help them make decisions for their families — and ultimately, what they didn’t know often didn’t hurt them.
The introduction of the internet exposes parents to a lot of helpful truths but also overburdens them with the knowledge that anything could happen to anyone at any time. It sows lots of seeds of doubt in me; I question every sniffle and worry that every cough is some big, scary, rare mystery disease I may be dismissing. I tend to err on the side of better safe than sorry and figure at worst, our pediatrician thinks I’m insane. So it’s a little hard for me to comprehend how the parents of an 11-year-old boy from Australia dismissed the concerning symptoms their son faced in November 2021.
A recent inquest revealed that Tristian James Frahm, 11, “died from extensive internal bleeding due to brown snake envenomation,” according to the Coroners Court of Queensland inquest document.
Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard concluded on October 15, 2025, that Tristian’s father, Kerrod Frahm, and two other adults were made aware that Tristian fell off a ride-on mower and was bitten by a Eastern brown snake the day prior to his death, People reported.
Tristian and his stepbrothers rode their modified mower down to the creek on their rural property for a swim, wearing no shoes or socks. Roughly 20 minutes after they left, one stepbrother returned and told the adults that Tristian fell from the mower and was bitten by a snake, while the other insisted it was just a stick he landed on. They allegedly checked him for bites and found nothing, but he was slurring his words, appeared dazed, and began vomiting, according to 7 News.
Kerrod was reportedly “adamant” that he was also informed Tristian had consumed alcohol that day and believed his symptoms were due to intoxication, so he thought it was best to let him sleep it off. They sent Tristian to bed and checked on him throughout the night as he expressed stomach pain, vomiting, and lethargy over the next 10 hours.
Dr. Christopher Day, the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy, told the court there was no alcohol in Tristian’s blood. Despite this, the inquest document further stated that “it is possible he could have entirely [metabolized] any alcohol consumed earlier,” People reported. Associate Professor Katherine Isoardi testified that the boy’s non-specific symptoms could have easily indicated another illness.
Upon examination of Tristian’s body, the inquest document also noted two puncture holes were found in his ankle.
People stated that Kerrod was originally charged with manslaughter and set to stand trial, but in 2024 the charge was dropped.
“Tristian’s passing demonstrates the importance of promoting and reinforcing public awareness and understanding of the appearance of snakebite, recognizing the signs and symptoms of snake envenomation, and the need for urgent medical attention… even if there is just the possibility of snakebite,” Kirkegaard noted in the inquest document.
The big lesson other families can take away from this tragic story? It’s worth a trip to the ER — just in case.
