Urgent warning after golfer bitten by UK’s only deadly species of snake leaving him struggling to breathe and swallow
A GOLFER was bitten by an adder while hunting for a lost ball.
Ben Bishop, 57, felt a sharp pain on his right foot while rummaging in the rough after a wayward tee shot.
Thirty minutes later he began sweating, came out in a rash and was struggling to breathe.
He was driven to A&E where staff initially suspected anaphylactic shock.
It was only when they spotted the tiny wound on his heel and he told him where he had been that they diagnosed a bite from Britain’s only breed of venomous snake.
Building maintenance worker Ben, from Sittingbourne, Kent, said: “You wouldn’t believe that something apparently quite minor can lead to your body shutting down. It’s extraordinary.
“I was rummaging around in dead twigs and branches and suddenly got an unusually sharp hot needle feeling straight in my heel.
“Half an hour later I could feel my face going numb. I was struggling to breathe, swallowing was difficult and I was shaking and sweaty.”
Ben, who plays off a 24 handicap, is now fully recovered after the bite on the sixth hole at Cobtree Manor golf club, Maidstone.
He was able to see the funny side when his pals gave him a rubber snake.
He said: “I’m fit as a fiddle now and still golfing, but for a few weeks I was very wary of going anywhere near the undergrowth.
“If the ball goes into the rough now I take a penalty and hit a second one instead of looking for the first one.”
Adders in Britain grow up to 34in and deliver a nasty bite that can prove fatal if not treated.
Around 100 people are bitten each year but death is rare with just 14 fatalities since 1876. The last was a five-year-old in 1975.
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Adders are commonly found in areas of rough, open countryside near woodland and are mostly seen in early spring when they emerge from hibernation.
Most adders have a distinct dark zigzag that runs down the length of their bodies, as well as an inverted “V” shape on their neck.
Male adders are usually white or pale grey with a black zigzag, while the females are a pale brown colour, with a darker brown zigzag.
In some cases, adders can be entirely black – which can lead them to being mistaken for others.
Adults grow to a length of 60 to 80cm – around 24 inches.
Adder snake’s have an average life span of up to 15 years.
SOME OTHER GOLF COURSE SNAKES
- Arnold Charmer
- Jack Nickl-hiss
- Ssseve Ballesteros
- Coilin’ Montgomerie
- Viper Woods
- Boa-ba Watson
- Brooks Koep-Kaa