A South Carolina kayaker is in critical condition after pulling a rattlesnake from the water, having mistaken it for a juvenile gator.
Don’t pull rattlesnakes out of the water. Or alligators. Those are the common-sense takeaway from an incident involving a kayaker on the Edisto River.
Man Mistakes Snake for Alligator, Pulls It From River
Last Sunday in South Carolina, Michael Adams, 28, was kayaking with a group of friends on the Edisto River. Family members initially told investigators the snake fell from a tree onto Adams. But on Tuesday, his brothers said he yanked the snake out of the river.
Why? Because he thought it was an alligator.
According to WCSC, Colleton County Fire and Rescue officials say the medic arrived about 12 minutes later to treat Adams. Medical officials transported him to the Colleton Medical Center, where he was further treated with antivenom.
Fortunately for the South Carolina native, doctors expect Adams to make a full recovery. His family said the Army vet is currently in a Charleston medical facility on breathing machines.
