McDavid Man Airlifted After Water Moccasin Bite

December 17, 2012

A McDavid man was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital Sunday after reportedly being bitten by a poisonous water moccasin.

First responders were on the scene within minutes in the 1400 block of North Century Boulevard where the 64-year oldĀ  man had been bitten on the thigh. He was transported by ambulance to the McDavid Fire Department and airlifted to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola by LifeFlight helicopter.

There was no update available on the man’s condition, and his identity has not been released.

The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded to the call.

NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

19 Responses to “McDavid Man Airlifted After Water Moccasin Bite”

  1. Jimbo on December 20th, 2012 7:33 am

    I killed a water moccasin last summer. There have been other snakes in our yard that get a pass though. We never kill king snakes, hog snakes, or coach whip snakes (black racers). They really keep the rat and mice population in check.

  2. 429SCJ on December 20th, 2012 5:35 am

    @ArmyMajorsWife & Sam Spade. (CH 3) 2 + NaCN, theres one for your book.

    How in the world did we go from the subject of zootoxins and proteolytic venom to organic chemistry and who knows where else?

    Praying for the full recovery.

  3. Papermaker on December 18th, 2012 8:32 pm

    I hope folks will consider that not all “water habitat” snakes are poisonous or venomous! I’ve been here all my life and I’m still amazed at how many people can not identify a common “harmless” watersnake. I live on a hill over a mile from a creek and I have watersnakes living in my goldfish pond, not ten feet from my back door. I’d guess they wander or my neighbor put them there? LOL
    Most folks don’t want to know the difference, most say, “Only good one is a dead’un”. I wish this guy (victim) the best, as this type of bite is a very “nasty” and painful bite. I’ve known several, over the years, who were bitten by a Florida Cotton Mouth. I don’t kill “any” snake unless it is venomous and near a home, including my own, and I still feel bad for doing so.

  4. Armymajorswife on December 18th, 2012 9:24 am

    not necessarily so Sam Spade and others… A man killed his wife with a cyanide injection. Cyanide is a poison.

    *a poison is any substance that when introduced into the body in substantial amounts causes harm.

    *poisons are introduced into the body in one of four ways:

    ingestion
    injection
    inhalation
    absorption (contact)
    notice injection ^^^^^

    injected poisonings are almost always the result of substance abuse. Heroin and cocaine top the list… but injected poisons can also be the result of bites and stings.

    I do hope the man is ok and will make a full recovery… definitely be on the lookout.

  5. kathy on December 18th, 2012 9:24 am

    Can anyone find out how he’s doing. I pray for a speedy recovery.

  6. Sherlock on December 18th, 2012 5:01 am

    Well Mr. Spade,
    His thigh must have been close to the ground when he was injected.

  7. Kelvin on December 17th, 2012 9:57 pm

    They are increasing in population on “the hill”. The river swamps where they once thrived has hardly any left…. I haven’t seen one in years, I think that the flathead catfish have all but cleaned them out

  8. dick tracy on December 17th, 2012 9:08 pm

    The only good snake is a deadun…….

  9. Sam Spade on December 17th, 2012 8:23 pm

    Venom is injected
    Poison is ingested or inhaled

  10. Armymajorswife on December 17th, 2012 7:17 pm

    Venom = poison…. So in the South we say poisonous snakes….

  11. Cowpen Creek on December 17th, 2012 6:58 pm

    I see these kind of snakes every weekend when I work on my fence along Cowpen Creek, they’re sneaky and as bad, if not worse, than rattlesnakes. I too think their numbers are growing. At one time, you had to hunt for them along the creek, but in the last few years they seem to be everywhere.

  12. Bratt Mom on December 17th, 2012 5:53 pm

    Unforunately, venomous and poisonous are one in the same. They are very deadly whatever you prefer to call them. Either way they will kill you if you want to call them venomous or poisinous, the terms means both the same and they are deadly, either venomous or poisonous. Let’s all try to be watchful for alls sake, especially our children though and ourselves also. I would die for a child of mine, I wish I could have, but it wasn’t GOD”S will. Let’s watch out for all. Be safe and careful!

  13. SCOTT LASSITER on December 17th, 2012 4:12 pm

    Venomous… not piosonious. That is the correction that them poor folks get on Swamp Wars when they call a snake piosonious…….. But they also love snakes too.

  14. Crawford on December 17th, 2012 1:25 pm

    Wish a speedy recovery for the gentleman. I saw two Cottonmouth’s swimming towards me on a nearby pond (feet from my property line) a week and a half ago and had never seen one there in thirty years. I have only seen them in and close by running water before, no flow on this pond except after heavy rains. A side note, seems we all say “poisonous” when we know that they are actually “venomous” and not poisonous at all.

  15. CW on December 17th, 2012 11:20 am

    I didn’t think they were a problem during the winter, but I guess this shows we should look for them year round.

  16. mc on December 17th, 2012 9:26 am

    Now its raining. Be especially careful.

  17. paul on December 17th, 2012 8:54 am

    It must have been a big one to reach his thigh.. These warm temps are keepin them active.. I don’t recall too many snake bites in the middle of December..

  18. Henry Coe on December 17th, 2012 8:21 am

    Wow. Scary. Hope he’s ok.

    This past year, about two months ago I killed a Cotton Mouth in my back yard. He was only about 3 ft long, but just as poisonous as bigger ones. My neighbor killed a 5 1.2 ft Eastern Diamond Back Rattle Snake a couple of weeks before that had killed one of my Rat Terriers a few weeks before that.

    To me, it has seemed to be an overly active year for poisonous snakes. I suppose they are always around, whether we are aware of it or not, trying to avoid being noticed by us or their prey.

  19. pm on December 17th, 2012 7:38 am

    my husband killed one of these little monsters in our side yard just a couple of weeks ago. then my son posted it on facebook and some well-meaning lady replied that she kept her yard well tended for the exact same reason. well, folks i will tell you that no matter how well tended – the snakes are still out there and will take a bite if given the opportunity. when i see these play yards for kids (and both of my daughters have one for their kids) – also. the schools have them. i can only warn my kids and anyone else that no matter how well kept your property is kept everyone would be well advised to check those places out before kids are allowed to play there. by the way , we do keep a well tended yard but it does not keep these snakes from going wherever they want to go. Please check out places where children play. i hope that this man recovers and does well.