Originally posted by robtcorl I read a story the other day. A woman in Texas saw a rattlesnake in the flowerbed. Her husband came to the rescue and severed the snake's head with a shovel.
Knight in shining armor, right?
Our hero bends down to pick up the severed head and it bites him.
Wifey is a nurse, gives first aid, loads the quickly deteriorating warrior into the car and heads to hospital. Part way there she dials 911 and the send a helicopter to life flight the poor guy to a trauma unit well versed in snakebites.
Even though the snake wasn't very big it still became very serious because a living snake will strike, bite and withdraw. The decapitated snake no longer had a body to pull back, and nearly every drop of venom was injected into the dude.
Nearly killed him.