eMdloti teen on the road to recovery following puff adder bite
Jude Mitchell (15) was hiking with his family in Lake Naverone in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg when he was bitten on the knee by the highly venomous snake.
AN eMdloti teenager said he is on the road to a ‘long, but full recovery’ after he was bitten by a puff adder while hiking on Easter Friday.
Jude Mitchell (15) was hiking with his family in Lake Naverone in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg when he was bitten on the knee by the highly venomous snake.
According to the African Snakebite Institute (ASI), puff adder venom is cytotoxic causing severe pain, swelling and in many cases severe tissue damage.
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The Durban High School learner was discharged earlier this week from Life Hilton Hospital and thanked his family, the paramedics and hospital staff for their help.
“I was walking uphill and I just remember a sharp scratch to my knee. I didn’t think it was a snake bite I wanted to see what had scratched me. I retraced my steps and walked back along the path to see what it could’ve been that scratched me and that’s when I saw the snake. I knew from the shape and thickness of the head it was a puff adder as I’d read about them in a book. When I told my family what had happened they sprung into action and we bandaged my knee using t-shirts. We were quite far away from the main road and my uncles took turns carrying me on their back for close to five kilometres,” Mitchell explained.
“The pain didn’t intensify until I was in an ambulance and every bump on the road to the hospital just made it worse. Up until that point I was laughing and joking.”
“On the trip to the doctor I was trying to think positively and remain calm. I’m grateful to everyone who helped me including the paramedics and a doctor in the Underberg before the staff at the hospital in Hilton. I think having read a bit about snake bites and what to do in the case of emergency also helped me through this,” he said.
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Mitchell, who is currently recovering at home, said his knee is still swollen from the bite but he is expected to make a full recovery.
His father Sean also praised Jude’s calmness throughout the ordeal.
“He was calm and uncomplaining, cracking jokes despite a very frightening and painful ordeal. He also understood the treatment required and that helped his confidence. One of the biggest lessons we also learned is not to go hiking in the Berg in warm weather without bandages,” he said.
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