An Amazon driver in Florida was hospitalized and in "very serious condition" yesterday after a rattlesnake bit her during a delivery Monday evening. According to WESH, the driver had walked up to a front door to drop off a package when a highly venomous Eastern diamondback — coiled up near the door — lashed out and bit her behind the leg, above the knee. The driver "immediately became ill and called 911."
And now the 10-minute 911 call she made has been released.
"What just bit you?" the dispatcher asked.
"A snake!" the woman responded, still crying. The dispatcher then connected her with other responders and urges the woman to breathe and stay calm. Any information that could identify the woman has been bleeped out of the call. Throughout the conversation, she continues crying and breathing heavily.
"The moment I went up to the door to drop off the package, it bit me," the woman told the dispatcher, adding that the snake is still on the home's front porch. "I can see it."
The woman then described the snake as black "with some colors on it." Later in the call, the homeowner describes the snake to the dispatcher, describing it as a "rattlesnake" that is "black and yellow" and "making a lot of noise," with a "big rattle."
A member of the sheriff's office then interrupted the call.
"One of my deputies specializes in snakes, and he's advising that a rattlesnake has special venom, so we need to advise the caller to stay calm and slow the breathing," she said.
"Our thoughts are with the driver and we hope for a full recovery after this frightening incident," Amazon spokesperson Branden Baribeau said via CBS News, before adding a strange remark: "Together, with the Delivery Service Partner, we're looking into the circumstances surrounding this incident and continue to make sure that drivers understand they should not complete a delivery if they feel unsafe." Yeesh. Sounds like they're blaming the driver as much as the snake.
