Drakensberg Hotel Guest Bitten by Venomous Snake, Rushed to Hospital

• A guest at a local hotel in Drakensberg had to be airlifted to the hospital after a venomous snake bit them
• Rescue personnel, with the help of the victim, identified the snake as a Berg Adder
• There is no anti-venom for a Berg Adder bite, and the victim may have to be put on artificial ventilation to treat the venomous bite

DRAKENSBERG - A visitor at a Drakensberg hotel who a poisonous snake had bitten had to be airlifted to the hospital on Sunday, 2 October.

The Specialised Tactical Accident Rescue Team (Start) received a report that a hotel guest had suffered a snake bit and subsequently deployed a rescue team to assist the victim.

Start issued a statement explaining the details of the incident. According to the rescue organisation, upon arriving at the scene, the rescue team discovered that the victim was exhibiting signs of a snake bite, with swelling to the affected area.

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Rescue personnel immediately administered essential treatments while flip carps were used to identify the snake that bit the patient. The patient identified the snake as a Berg Adder.

According to TimesLIVE, the African SnakeBite Institute describes a Berg Adder as a venomous snake that is dangerous, ill-tempered, hisses loudly, and is quick to strike.

The snake's venom is neurotoxic and specifically targets the optic and facial nerves. The side effects of the venom include drooping eyelids, double vision, dizziness and temporary loss of taste and smell.

The institute added that there is no anti-venom for a Berg Adder bite, and victims often must be artificially ventilated to treat the bite.

Netcare911 was contacted, and a helicopter was dispatched so the victim could be airlifted to a level 1 trauma hospital as quickly as possible.

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Start said the flight crew successfully transported the patient to the hospital, where they received further treatment for the venomous snake bite.

South Africans react to the venomous snake attack

South Africans weighed in on the snake bite on social media. Here are some sections:

@MakwidiB commented:

"Then they say don't kill snakes. When I see one, I crush the head or run for my life."

@kgotsoTwo said:

"You mean there are snakes on the mountains? Hectic."

@Fangses1 pointed out:

"Eish, let's hope he was with his wife, not a nyatsi, because now he is going to be killed by his wife at home."

@ayanda_m04 added:

"No, I'd literally die."

@_Mazazah posted:

"Yabona ke that is why I always checked underneath, up, down every time we checked into a hotel "

Massive snake skin found by plumber in Durban home gives Mzansi the chills: “That’s a nope from me”

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In a similar story, Briefly News reported that finding a snake in your home is terrifying, but finding snake skin without the snake makes it even more ominous. A plumber experienced this while trying to fix a geyser, which resulted in Nick Evans finding the skin for himself in the ceiling of a Durban home.

The veteran snake rescuer discovered the remnants of the danger-noodle next to a geyser once the plumber had called and suggested that it was trying to keep itself warm in a Facebook post.

Source: Briefly News