Snake influencer’s behavior of getting up shut and private with venomous reptiles backfires horribly
A snake influencer, known for getting up close and personal with the venomous reptiles, learned his lesson after he was brutally bit by one.
David Orin, 25, ventured out on December 18th on Florida‘s Shired Island when a four-foot Eastern diamondback rattlesnake attacked him.
He was left with a bloody gash in his leg as he calmly told his friends ‘Welp. I’m cooked,’ while they looked at him in complete shock.
Orin, who has 1.4 million followers on Instagram and 2.3 million on TikTok, recorded the encounter after he was bit, and even captured the ‘fantastic’ reptile rattling its tail as he moved his camera closer to it.
‘Alright, that right there is a fantastic Eastern diamondback rattlesnake that I just got bit in the leg by because I didn’t notice him when I was peeling bark,’ Orin said as blood dripped from his lower leg.
The snake hunter then casually informed his pals that they needed to head back to the car because ‘I’m about to lose my ability to walk.’
He recalled that just a minute after making it to the car, ‘my entire body shut down and I thought I was gonna die.’
Orin was then quickly rushed to a fire station in Cross City before being airlifted to Shands Hospital, where he remains nearly two weeks after the near-death experience.
David Orin, 25, was searching for his favorite reptiles on December 18th on Florida ‘s Shired Island when a four-foot Eastern diamondback rattlesnake attacked him
The venomous reptile bit Orin in the leg as he recorded himself ‘Welp. I’m cooked,’ before rushing back to the car and getting medical attention
Orin is making ‘a slow but steady recovery’ in the hospital, and has received ’50 vials of antivenom, countless fluids, medications, treatments, and procedures,’ according to a GoFundMe created to help him as he heals.
On Monday, Orin – who describes himself as an ‘adventurer’ and ‘professional snake wrangler’ on social media – shared a video of himself in the ICU as he addressed the frightening encounter.
He claimed snakes are ‘beautiful animals created by God’ and launched into a Christian story about how ‘man’s disobedience’ in the Garden of Eden had led to animals like snakes to evolve and become predators.
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is regarded as North America’s most venomous snake.
Up to 30 percent of people bitten by the animal will die if they don’t receive anti-venom treatment.
Being bitten by one of the predators has been likened to being stabbed by two hot hypodermic needles with an array of grim side effects quickly presenting themselves.
He recalled that just a minute after making it to the car, ‘my entire body shut down and I thought I was gonna die’
Orin is making ‘a slow but steady recovery’ in the hospital, where he received ’50 vials of antivenom, countless fluids, medications, treatments, and procedures.’ (Pictured: Orin in 2022)
Orin added: ‘Just be vigilant and wear a pair of snake boots (the tall ones that guard against bites!) when out in dense habitat! Snakes will leave you alone if you leave them alone and will only strike out of fear or if they think you are a perceived threat.
He added that after the ‘rattler’ bit him, the snake backed away, ‘rattling as he went.’
Laid up in a hospital bed, Orin, visibly groggy, said he felt like his ‘shin was gonna explode’ after being struck by the reptile.
He then showed a picture of his bruised leg, as the video cut to him saying ‘I’m scared I’m gonna die, but hopefully not.’
He then showed a picture of his bruised leg, as the video cut to him saying ‘I’m scared I’m gonna die, but hopefully not’
A GoFundMe page has been created to help raise money to take care of Orin’s medical expenses
As of Tuesday afternoon, the donation page raised more than $24,600 to help Orin and his wife Emma pay for medical bills, and help them get by while the couple takes time off of work.
His wife shared images of Orin in physical therapy on Monday as he was seen ‘gradually’ trying to put weight on his injured leg while holding onto a walker.
In another clip, he was seen stretching his ‘tense muscles’ with a nurse in the hospital.
When he was transported to the hospital, Emma, a nurse, was there working a shift, Newsweek reported.
‘I’m feeling really hopeful and so cared for! Caretaking for David is an honor. The first week here at the hospital was so scary but our loved ones have filled in all the gaps that I couldn’t do on my own,’ Emma told the outlet.
‘My hope in Jesus has sustained me most through all of this.
His wife shared images of Orin in physical therapy on Monday as he was seen stretching his ‘tense muscles’ with a nurse in the hospital
‘The most recent updates on David’s medical journey are that we are finding the best pain management plan for David as he often deals with excruciating muscle and nerve pain.’
This is not the first time Orin has had a bad run-in with a snake, as the herpetologist let the wild reptiles bite him to educate others about them in the past.
Footage showed him jumping into water after a Burmese python, before wrapping the animal around his neck.
In another clip, the Gainesville native, held a Gulf Saltmarsh snake which bit him on the lip, leaving it bloody.
In his videos, he’s even rated how painful snake bites are, as he was seen letting one of the reptiles clamp down on his index finger.
The animal lover said the snake had ‘zero bite pressure’ and ‘really weak jaws’, rating the bite a one out of ten.
