A harmless day at field hockey practice in Australia turned tragic tragic Tuesday, as one of the players did not receive medical attention in time after a fatal snake bite.

The player, Karl Berry, was cleaning up at the Marrara Hockey Centre in Darwin, Australia when he noticed what he thought to be a relatively harmless python on the field. Knowing that children were playing in the area, he cleared the snake away.

Berry, 26, did not think much of the snake at the time, and started up his training as planned. Soon after, a nearby training group noticed that he had collapsed, and proceeded to call for an ambulance.

"We found a male who had just been on a two-kilometer run, feeling quite unwell," said St. Johns ambulance spokesman Craig Garraway. "After some discussion and investigation we became aware he had picked up a snake off the hockey field and it had actually bitten him on the finger."

Apparently, Berry had been been bitten and did not bother to seek medical attention until it was too late. His condition quickly deteriorated.

"He had signs and symptoms of snake bite. He was becoming quite ill. He'd been on a two-kilometer run, so obviously circulation had increased during that run," said Garraway.

Berry was rushed to the hospital, but doctors were unable to help him and he died the next day. 

The snake that bit him was the deadly brown snake. Each year in Australia between 300 and 500 snake bite cases require antivenom. Australia is also home to 20 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world.

"A minute's silence will be held before each senior game this weekend," executive officer of Hockey Northern Territory, Baden Sharp, told the Brisbane Times, "and players will wear black arm bands in memory of Karl Berry's passing."