Warning: This story contains graphic content some readers may find distressing
Not to sound like an absolute boomer, but it does feel like people will do anything to get a bit of clout on the internet nowadays.
But sometimes a bit of viral fun goes, well, t*ts up. And for this influencer, things had gone very, very wrong before the camera even began rolling.
David Humplett started filming seconds after he was bitten by a highly venomous rattlesnake.
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Known as David Orin, or @adventorin, on his social media channels, the 25-year-old wildlife enthusiast known for travelling the US to find different wildlife - in particular, snakes and other reptiles.
While in Dixie Country, Florida on 18 December, the lad had the cameras going when a diamond rattlesnake found him first.
“Welp, I’m cooked,” he said, just moments after the snake took a bite on his leg. “Alright, that right there is a fantastic Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake that I just got bit in the leg by when I was peeling bark.”
As blood began trickling down his leg, he explained he had been peeling bark from a tree so hadn’t noticed the snake.
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“Alright I’m about to lose my ability to walk,” Humplett says before the clip cuts to him in hospital.
The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is the largest rattleback species and one of the heaviest known species of venomous snake. Plus, it’s earned itself the reputation of being the most dangerous venomous snake in North America.
The influencer explained that as soon as he finished recording he got into the car where he thinks he went into ‘anaphylactic shock’ as his whole body went ‘numb and tingly’.
“The site [of the bite] on my shin felt like it was going to explode, still does,” he said.
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After driving to the nearest fire station, he was taking by helicopter to a hospital for treatment and received antivenom.
“The swelling’s still getting worse, so I need more,” Humplett continued.
Showing his bruising leg, he finished the video by saying: “I’m scared I’m going to die, but hopefully not.”
Marking day 14 in the hospital, he shared an update on Instagram earlier this morning (1 January) to say the future of his leg ‘is still uncertain’ and that a ‘potential future amputation isn’t even off the table’.
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The influencer has set up a ‘recovery fund’ on GoFundMe to go towards medical bills and help for his family while he recovers.
Topics: Social Media, GoFundMe, Animals
Jess Battison