Man may lose hand after trying to take selfie with rattlesnake
August 27, 2015 - 12:49 pm
A Southern California man may lose his hand soon after being bitten by a rattlesnake when he picked it up to take a “selfie” with it.
Alex Gomez, 36, remained in a hospital Wednesday after making the potentially deadly mistake, CBS Los Angeles reported. Gomez had picked up the four-foot snake near his family’s home in Lake Elsinore.
Gomez’s nephew, Ronnie, said the rattlesnake was “pretty mad” and rattling before it was picked up.
Gomez, a father of three, was taken to the hospital shortly after being bitten, experiencing excruciating pain. He was treated with anti-venom but his mother told local media he may lose his hand.
“His skin is already rotting away,” his mother, Deborah, said.
She said sharing his “embarrassing” story would be the best way to teach her son a lesson.
Contact Kristen DeSilva at kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva