“He Killed It”: Vanrhynsdorp Man Gets Bitten by a Puff Adder While Collecting Cans for an Income

• An unemployed man from Vanrhynsdorp was bitten by a puff adder while he was collecting cans outside the town
• Ricardo Lodewyk walked back into town to get help at the police station after being bitten by the puff adder
• Social media users sent well wishes and prayers for his recovery, with some praising his bravery

An unemployed man from Vanrhynsdorp in the Western Cape had a terrifying experience while trying to earn some money. Snake removal expert @Bolandsnakeremovals shared the story on 20 October 2025 about Ricardo Lodewyk, who got bitten by a puff adder.

According to the post, Ricardo was walking outside the town next to the road, picking up tins to earn an income, when the snake bit him on his right palm while he was collecting cans in the field. After being bitten, he walked all the way to town with a severely burning hand to ask for help at the police station. Luckily, the town's snake catcher, Stephan Hugo, happened to be working at the station that day and knew the snake expert who shared the story.

Read also

"This is bad": Gent shows horrible weather, showing why the Cape Town Marathon got cancelled

Stephan asked Ricardo about the snake, and they went back to the spot where Ricardo had killed the snake after it bit him, and it turned out to be a puff adder. The snake catcher then arranged for an ambulance to take Ricardo to Vredendal Hospital for treatment.

Netizens react to the puff adder bite

Social media users flooded the comments with concern and support:

@Molly Agenbag updated:

"I was just at Ricardo, who was bitten by the puffer. His hand and arm look much better; he has almost no pain anymore, the swelling is starting to subside, and he can at least move all his fingers. Ricardo asks that I thank everyone who sent him well wishes and prayed for him."

@Herman Liebenberg warned:

"Already see three fingers that need attention very quickly, otherwise they are off to the bushveld."

@JF Begrie advised:

"If you are in contact with him, tell him to remove that stretch from his arm; it will only cause problems."

@Duna Nokhala commented:

"Surely, the snake saw him first and prepared itself to strike. He can't just stretch his hand to that heck thing, knowing it's deadly."

@Adele Kotzé Steyn praised:

"My guy! You are a rock! Killing a snake and walking back to town after a puffer bite, you want to be done! Good luck on your road to recovery!"

Read also

Man finds huge spider spotted inside home in TikTok video

How to deal with puff adder bites

Snake removal expert @Bolandsnakeremovals shared the video showing the dangers of puff adders in the Western Cape area. According to the African Snakebite Institute, puff adders are responsible for most of the snake bites in South Africa.

If you get bitten by a snake, the most important thing is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible. Keep the victim calm and as still as possible, because movement speeds up the spread of venom in the body. Remove rings and tight clothing from the affected area, as swelling can happen fast. Do not try to cut or pull out the venom, apply electric shocks, or use ice or boiling water on the bite site.

Puff adders have cytotoxic venom, which affects tissue and muscle cells. In severe cases, the entire limb may swell, and local tissue damage is very common.

View the Facebook post below:

Read also

'Married at First Sight SA' cast members makes startling revelations about the show's producers

More snake-related stories in SA

• A video on TikTok shows a man dealing with a puff adder that was found inside a house.
• Briefly News also reported on a 15-year-old boy from Graafwater who was bitten on the finger by a puff adder while outside his home.
• A snake catcher in Noosa Heads shared a video of himself removing a massive carpet python from a bedroom.

Source: Briefly News