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Man Nearly Loses Finger After Being Bitten By False Widow Spider

Man Nearly Loses Finger After Being Bitten By False Widow Spider

The joiner said the bite left him in 'agony'

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

WARNING: Contains graphic imagery which may cause distress

In the UK, we have to put up with shitty weather pretty much all year round. A small consolation is the fact we can go camping (in the rain) without fear of all those animals that like killing humans (and nice weather).

As such, you're entitled to feel a bit aggrieved if a spider bites you while you're watching Netflix, almost costing you your finger - which is exactly what happened to 37-year-old Gary Armstrong.

Gary, from Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, said he flicked away the fanged beast when he first spotted it, before throwing it out of the window.

He said: "I woke up at about 3am, and I remember I had Netflix on as it said, 'Do you want to go to the next episode?'

"I noticed a spider next to my finger so I flicked it off and heard a crunch. The next day I picked it up with its tripod-y legs and flung it out the window."

This does look like agony to be fair.
NCJ Media

The joiner then went to work, presumably thinking nothing more of his arachnid encounter, but soon enough his hand was in 'agony'.

He said: "My hand was that bad after the bite the next day, I couldn't put my hands in my pockets.

"I felt like my hand was going to burst - I was in agony.

"I was shocked too, as I've heard stories about false widows killing people."

Keen not to die, he went straight to hospital, where staff were shocked by his gaping wound.

Mr Armstrong said: "They all said they'd never seen it before so it was a first for them.

Who knew watching Netflix could be so harmful?
NCJ Media

"But the staff said I could have potentially have lost a finger, or maybe even my hand."

Fortunately, he didn't die, though he did need an operation. Better still, his boss believed him, rather than assuming he was just pulling a sicky.

Mr Armstrong said: "When he got that last picture, he really did believe me."

Yeah, pretty tough to argue with that pic - wouldn't fancy using that finger to get stuck into some joinery.

Things could have been a lot worse for Mr Armstrong though.

Andy Perry had to have his leg amputated following a false spider bite. He picked up the bite while doing a landscaping job, resulting in him getting sepsis.

Ultimately, Mr Perry had to threaten to chop his own leg off in order to get it amputated, as surgeons were reluctant to carry out the procedure because he had a live infection - which had caused it to inflate like a grotesque sausage.

So just in case you need telling - stay away from spiders.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, Animals