FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Franklin man is warning others to watch out for snakes after he was bitten at his home.
Warning: Graphic photos below
Austin McGee got bitten by a baby timber rattlesnake in May when he was doing yard work. Doctors say he will keep his finger and it will be back to normal in 6-8 months.
“I was going up to the woods behind my house and it was me and my buddy picking up some metal and we heard like faint rattle but it was over far away so we talked about it and thought it was a little bug and then reached down and something bit me on the finger,” he said. “I lifted my finger up and there were two holes where a snake had bit me.”
McGee rushed to the hospital. As doctors worked to remove the venom from the rattlesnake's bite his finger wouldn't stop swelling.
"Every day it kept getting bigger and bigger," said McGee, "once it got so big doctor I drained it."
The doctors told him he will get to keep his finger and it'll be back to normal in 6-8 months. He should be making a full recovery.
McGee urges people to keep this in mind next time they are in the woods.
If you do get bit by a snake keep these things in mind: remain calm and move away from the snake’s striking distance, go to the hospital immediately and do not try to cut the wound or remove the venom yourself. In Tennessee, there are over 30 different types of snakes, four of which are venomous. If you see a snake, do not remove it yourself, call a professional. You can learn more about snake issues and removals from Animal Pros.
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