Extensive medical care saved a Texas rancher's life after an encounter with a cottonmouth snake, according to AgWeb. Texas rancher Jeremy Sons needed 54 vials of antivenom, surgery, and a week in the hospital after the encounter.
Here's what to know
Sons, 46, was exploring Clear Creek with his wife, Katelyn, on their ranch outside Sanger, Texas, when he reached beneath a log along the bank, AgWeb reported.
Sons estimated the cottonmouth was 3.5 to 4 feet long. When he pulled his hand back, the snake was still hanging on.
His hand began to swell, prompting Katelyn to drive him to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Denton. The pain intensified during the trip, and by the time he reached the emergency room, he was vomiting repeatedly. His blood pressure reached 220/110, while his pulse hit 200 beats per minute.
More background
Jeremy had unknowingly reached into a snake's hiding place while searching the creek bank for washed-up items, an activity he acknowledged he had become too comfortable with.
The bites left Jeremy Sons with permanent nerve damage, and his recovery also affected daily life at Clear Creek Adventure Ranch.
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A similar encounter happened to Jeremy's father, Mark Sons, in the 1970s. As a teenager in the 1970s, Mark was bitten after placing his hand on a cottonmouth while climbing the bank in darkness.
What can be done?
Before reaching the Denton hospital, Katelyn called ahead to confirm it had antivenom. Sons also described a mistake he made during the drive: he applied a makeshift tourniquet, then removed it when the pain intensified.
In Fort Worth, clinicians noted the advancing swelling and discoloration. Surgeons made seven deep cuts around his hand to give the swollen tissue room.
After receiving 54 vials of antivenom, his condition finally improved. He spent three days in intensive care.
Sons posted updates about his hospital stay on TikTok and other social platforms to raise awareness about snake bites. The videos drew tens of millions of views.
After seven days in the hospital, Sons returned home with his hand intact and immediately helped take one of the ranch's animals to an emergency veterinarian.
"People have asked if I'm gonna go on a killing spree. No," Sons said. "That snake did nothing wrong. He didn't slither into my house and crawl in my bed. I went into his home."
Where can I learn more?
Sons' ordeal shows how much medical care a venomous snakebite can require.
• In Texas, a water moccasin sent an animal rescuer to the emergency room.
• In Egypt, a man survived cardiac arrest after a snakebite thanks to 60 antivenom doses.
• North Carolina residents have received nearly 600 venomous snakebites.
• In Arkansas, Reddit users' quick cottonmouth identification may have saved a family's elderly dog.
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