Body-worn police footage and a frantic 911 call captured the moments after an Amazon delivery driver was bitten by a highly venomous rattlesnake at a Palm City, Florida home.
The driver was bitten “in the back of the leg, just above the knee” while leaving a package at the front door of the home, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. The snake was an Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake which was “coiled” by the front door. The woman was hospitalized and in “very serious condition” on Tuesday.
In the 10-minute 911 call, shared on Wednesday, the driver can be heard crying out in pain as the dispatcher tries to get information and assist her.
“What just bit you?” the dispatcher asked.
“A snake!” the woman responded, still crying. The dispatcher then connected her with other responders and urges the woman to breathe and stay calm. Any information that could identify the woman has been bleeped out of the call. Throughout the conversation, she continues crying and breathing heavily.
The woman then described the snake as black “with some colors on it.” Later in the call, the homeowner describes the snake to the dispatcher, describing it as a “rattlesnake” that is “black and yellow” and “making a lot of noise,” with a “big rattle.”
A member of the sheriff’s office then interrupted the call.
“One of my deputies specializes in snakes, and he’s advising that a rattlesnake has special venom, so we need to advise the caller to stay calm and slow the breathing,” she said.
According to the sheriff’s office, Eastern Diamondbacks are “highly venomous snakes” that are common in the area. CBS Miami reported that the rattlesnake’s bites can cause serious tissue damage, severe organ damage throat swelling, and extreme pain. The bites can be fatal to humans if not treated.
The call continued until first responders arrived on the scene.
The 19-second bodycam video shows the moment after police arrived on the scene, and the faces of those on the scene were blurred. In the video, the woman who was bitten is seen sitting on the ground with two other people. An officer asks the driver where she was bitten, and she shows a large, bloody wound.
The officer then begins to loosen a kneepad the woman is wearing, in an attempt to avoid “constriction.” The driver yells out in pain, and then the clip ends. The call continues to capture some of the noise, including the dispatcher reassuring the woman that they are contacting hospitals to see which ones have the antidote for the snake venom.
The woman was transported to an area hospital by ambulance.
“Our thoughts are with the driver and we hope for a full recovery after this frightening incident,” Branden Baribeau, an Amazon spokesperson, told CBS News. “Together, with the Delivery Service Partner, we’re looking into the circumstances surrounding this incident and continue to make sure that drivers understand they should not complete a delivery if they feel unsafe.”
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