A sixty-six-year-old woman was bitten by a viper while picking blueberries in Šumava on Wednesday. However, the tourist did not call for help until two hours later and, in the meantime, sucked the venom from her finger with her mouth.
According to mountain rescuers, the woman from Prague was picking blueberries in the vicinity of Kvilda before noon. Apparently, a surprised viper bit her finger, but the woman did not call for help immediately.
When she called two hours later, the rescuers were not surprised. “We found out on the spot that the lady had been bitten on the finger by a snake. We cooled the wound. The woman was very restless during the treatment,” described mountain rescuer Jan Ritter.
But that was not all. As the mountain rescuers later learned, the situation in the ambulance became more complicated. The woman developed a large swelling on her tongue and other swellings on her face.
“According to the information from the rescuers, the woman had been sucking poison from her wound and swallowing it all the time before our arrival. According to the doctors, she suffered a serious allergic reaction, which put her at significant risk, ” Ritter added.
The mountain service is therefore strongly warning hikers to beware of poisonous snakes. When a bite occurs, the injured person must squeeze or suck the venom from the wound under no circumstances.
“If you do not have the possibility of cooling down, for example, with ice, stay calmly in place, move as little as possible and call for help immediately,” said Michal Janďura, chief of the Šumava Mountain Service.