This is an experience he will remember for a long time! David Humplett, an influencer specializing in wildlife, came close to death live in front of his millions of followers. On December 18, while exploring the forest near Shired Island, Florida, the 25-year-old was bitten on the leg by a diamondback rattlesnake, one of the most venomous snakes in the United States.
Far from panicking, he grabbed his phone to film the moments that followed this terrifying event.
An attack filmed live
Seconds after the bite, David Humplett recorded a video where he calmly revealed his bloody wound, saying: “Well, I’m screwed!”. Pulling down his jeans to show the wound, he added wryly: “What a joke, man!”before smiling at the camera.
The longest snakes in the world
Despite the growing pain and great danger, the influencer insisted on capturing the moment. “Let’s take the photos first. We’re already in trouble anyway.”he told his worried friends.
David Humplett also mentioned that the diamondback rattlesnake was “the worst snake you can be bitten by in Florida”, before turning off the camera. He was then airlifted to UF Health Shands Hospital, where he received 88 doses of antivenom to try to counter the effects of the poison.
-In another video recorded at the hospital, the influencer described the excruciating pain of the snake bite, explaining that her leg looked like it was going to explode, before confessing: “I’m afraid of dying, but I hope not”.
His wife, Emma Rynear, a nurse at the same establishment, immediately joined him upon his arrival. “Inside, I was panicking, but on the outside, I was reassuring him, saying, ‘You’re going to get through this.’”she told WCJB, welcoming the support of her colleagues.
The diamondback rattlesnake, a formidable snake
Le crotale diamantin (Crotalus adamanteus) is the largest rattlesnake in the United States, growing up to 8 feet long. Known for its extremely powerful venom, it also has fangs that inject a large quantity of toxins into its victim. These cause hemorrhages, muscle destruction and, sometimes, irreversible damage.
Each year, approximately 8,000 venomous snake bites are reported in the United States, many of them involving the diamondback rattlesnake. However, serious accidents linked to this species remain relatively rare, largely thanks to the precautions taken by locals and hikers.
Despite its dangerous reputation, the diamondback rattlesnake plays a key role in the local ecosystem, regulating populations of rodents and other small animals. David Humplett also insisted on this point, affirming that he held no ill will towards the animal: “The snake is only doing what it’s supposed to do. It saw me as a threat and was just trying to protect itself. I’m not angry with it, and I don’t want others to be angry either more”, he concluded with WCJB.
