PERTH, Australia (AP) — Ansett Airlines grounded one of its planes to search for a snake after a 6-year-old boy was bitten by a deadly taipan thought to be on board.
Ansett spokesman Peter Young said the A-320 Airbus was searched by seven experienced snake catchers when it landed in Adelaide on the return flight, and was searched again by sniffer dogs and fumigated on its return to Melbourne.
"We're absolutely satisfied that there is no snake on that aircraft," Young said.
Khyl Hardy was taken to a hospital after his mother Melissa noticed he was shaking. She said he had been vomiting during the 4 1/2-hour flight to Perth, but she had put it down to motion sickness.
When he was taken to the Joondalup Health Center, urine tests and a swab confirmed he had been bitten by a taipan. Hardy said she believed Khyl was bitten when he bent down to pick up a lollipop he had dropped.
Hardy said she was not seeking any compensation from Ansett, which had offered to take Khyl on a trip to the zoo.