A woman endured a frightening encounter after being bitten several times by an eastern brown snake that had become ensnared in the heel loop of her shoe.

Cory Kerewaro, a snake catcher from Reptile Relocation Sydney, shared with 9news.com.au that the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon while the woman was geocaching in a garden bed in Narellan, located in Sydney’s south-west. She felt something against her leg and quickly realized it was a snake.

Panicked, she leaped from the garden onto the road, frantically shaking her leg in an attempt to dislodge the unwelcome visitor.

“Once she understood it was a snake, she wisely remained still,” Kerewaro explained.

He added, “The snake initially tried to move away, but then it slithered behind her shoe, got caught in the loop, and coiled around her ankle several times as it struggled to free itself.”

The woman rang an ambulance and when paramedics arrived, they immediately called Kerewaro.

They sent him a photo and he identified the snake as a highly venomous, young adult eastern brown snake.

He said the situation was unlike anything he’d ever dealt with before.

“It hit me heavy,” he said.

“I thought, if she dies, that’s on me.”

When he arrived, he realised the snake was suffering heat stress, having been trapped on the hot bitumen on a 36-degree day for more than half an hour.

“Seeing it was heat-affected, I was relieved,” he said.

“I was able to pin it very quickly, undo her shoe, she took her foot out of her shoe and moved away.

He said a paramedic then cut the heel loop to free the snake.

Despite being bitten multiple times, the woman survived.

She was taken to hospital and has since been released.

The snake died of heat exposure.

Kerewaro said not all bites from venomous snakes result in envenomation, but it is critical to seek treatment regardless.

He said the woman had done exactly the right thing in staying still and calling an ambulance.

“A lot of people think you get bitten and you’re gone, but staying completely still has a big part.

“Always go to hospital, even if you don’t think you’ve been bitten, the consequences can be fatal.”

He also encouraged people to carry a snake bite bandage when outdoors, and keep one in the glovebox of their car.

“It’s still unbelievable,” Kerewaro said.

“If someone had told me that it went through the loop of the shoe and I didn’t see the photos, I’d say bullshit.”