CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (RNN) – A man’s encounter with a rattlesnake the weekend of May 27 almost ended his life.
Jennifer Sutcliffe told TV station KIII that she and her husband were doing yard work at their home near Lake Corpus Christi when he came upon a 4-foot rattlesnake.
He beheaded it with a shovel, but he soon found out how dangerous a dead snake can be.
When he tried to dispose of the snake, the snake’s head bit him, pumping all the venom it had into him, Sutcliffe said.
The man, who was not named, began having seizures, experienced internal bleeding and lost his vision.
Sutcliffe, who called 911, was trying to drive her husband to the hospital, but his condition was so serious authorities had to fly him in for care.
She said hospital officials told her he might not survive, even though he received 26 doses of antivenom. She said people normally get four doses.
But he's getting better. He’s currently in stable condition.
The USDA recommends that people who comes across rattlesnakes allow them to retreat, as the poisonous snakes only strike when threatened or provoked.
Among their tips to avoid snake bites: never go barefoot or wear sandals in wild areas, watch your step and avoid tall grass. Don't handle a freshly killed snake because they can still strike.
If you are bitten, keep the wound below the heart, immobilize the area, wash the bite area with soap and water, and call 911. Get to the nearest medical facility immediately, and don't try sucking out the venom.
Being treated for rattlesnake bites can be really expensive, too. A California man who was bitten trying to take a selfie with a rattlesnakes got a $153,000 medical bill, with antivenom accounting for $83,000 of it, the Washington Post reported in 2015.
