SARASOTA, Fla. — A Sarasota man is on the mend at Sarasota Memorial Hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake over the weekend.
- Earl Hjertstedt working in North Port when bite occurred
- Received 26 vials of antivenin, twice the usual amount given to rattlesnake bite victims
- Has had 2 surgeries, will undergo another this week
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Land surveyor Earl Hjertstedt, 39, was working near the new Braves stadium in North Port, standing in some heavy brush, when it happened.
“I was on my way back to my coworker and felt a slap, it was a strong one, on my leg,” he recalled. “I looked down and there was a piece of grass that was open and then out of that area I heard a 'shhhhh.'”
He made his way over to his coworker as the venom set in.
“It was so painful trying to get to that roadway," he explained. "It was, seemed like forever trying to get to that roadway."
He was taken to a nearby hospital, but they didn’t have enough anti-venom. He was then transferred to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
But, with all venomous snake bites, every second is precious.
“Breathing out the window, the breeze was just helping me, and I was just praying that, you know, I don’t know what’s about to happen, I don’t know,” he said.
Extraordinary measures
Normally, severe snake bite victims get 12 vials of antivenom.
Hjertstedt received 26 vials.
Since then, Hjertstedt has been through two surgeries and will undergo another on Thursday.
It’s still unclear how much use he’ll regain once his leg heals.
For now, he’s just happy to witness the birth of his baby, due in the same hospital this week.
“I just want him to be able to be in the delivery room with us,” said his wife, Dihanna.
Hjertstedt believes there need to be more safety precautions in the future:
“I think job sites, construction crews, or even medical facilities should mandate, state mandate some kind of more training or be prepared for certain circumstances like this,” he said.
What to do if bitten
July is peak rattlesnake season.
Rattlesnakes are one of five species of pit vipers in the state of Florida. All use the same type of antivenom.
Toxicologist and clinical pharmacist Dr. Jeremy Lund of Sarasota Memorial Hospital told us snake bites are generally rare in this area. In fact, the hospital had only had two envenomations in the past five years, both this past week.
However, if you are bitten by a snake, says you should not use tourniquets or try to suck the venom out.
Instead:
- Remain calm
- Get far away from the snake, as it can strike again
- Take a picture of the snake
- Immobilize the affected limb
- Remove all jewelry (your body will swell as the venom sets in)
- Get to the emergency room as fast as possible