Aussie grandma’s warning after discovering the sinister source behind ‘horrendous pain’ shooting down her back: ‘Thought it was a heart attack’

A grandmother has issued a chilling warning after a bushwalk left her doubled over in agony, only to discover days later that she had been bitten by a snake.

The woman, who goes by the name of Gerty Year, shared her terrifying ordeal on Facebook, revealing what she initially brushed off as a harmless encounter turned into a brush with something far more sinister.

She explained that the incident began innocuously during a weekend walk.

‘On Saturday on my bush walk I felt a whack at my ankle and looked down and kicked at a stick tangled around my leg and kept walking,’ she wrote.

But within minutes, things took a dramatic turn with what she described as ‘a horrendous pain’ that ran from her left side of her chest all the way down to the bottom of her ribs.

‘It made me double over.’

The sudden, intense pain was so severe she feared the worst.

‘I was holding onto a tree and thought I was having a heart attack,’ she added.

Despite the alarming symptoms, Gerty managed to compose herself and walk back to her car – even taking a phone call from her grandson along the way, which distracted her from what had just happened.

It wasn’t until the following day, after finally showering, that she made a shocking discovery of two puncture wounds. But even then, she still didn’t suspect a snake bite at the time.

However, the lingering symptoms prompted her to investigate further.

‘I [looked] up “what do baby snake bites look like” and it looked exactly like mine. So off to the doctor and he confirmed a dry bite by a snake.’

Her doctor was stunned she hadn’t sought urgent help sooner, or called for an ambulance.

‘He kept shaking his head and saying “This is Australia”.’

Now recovering and under close monitoring for 72 hours, Gerty is using her experience to warn others not to make the same mistake.

‘Moral of the story is if you feel something whack at your ankles stop and check for a bite because it sometimes isn’t just a stick.’

Her followers were also quick to point out just how lucky she had been, too.

‘Wow, you were lucky it was a baby. Time for boots,’ one wrote.

‘Omg woman you were so bloody lucky!’ another added.

‘You’d think that the bite would have hurt more. At least you’re ok,’ a third remarked.

Gerty’s ordeal highlights a little-known fact about snake bites in Australia, where many are what’s known as ‘dry bites’, where no venom is injected.

But experts warn they are still incredibly dangerous and should always be treated as a medical emergency.

Her story echoes a similarly harrowing case involving public speaking coach Dr Louise Mahler in 2019, who was bitten four times by two tiger snakes while walking her dogs in Victoria’s Yarra Valley.

Despite being attacked by one of the world’s most venomous species, Dr Mahler also survived because the bites were dry.

‘I was incredibly lucky,’ she said at the time, after doctors told her she would have had ‘zero chance of survival’ if venom had been injected.

Australia is home to some of the most venomous snakes on earth, including eastern brown snakes and tiger snakes.

According to national data, there are thousands of snake bites reported each year, but fatalities remain relatively low – typically between one and four deaths annually – largely due to rapid access to medical care and antivenom.

Still, experts stress that every bite should be treated seriously, and that wearing sturdy footwear, long pants, and remaining vigilant in bushland are among the simplest ways to reduce risk.