What to Know
- The man was bitten by a snake at a home in West Babylon late Monday
- The Egyptian Saw-Scaled Viper bite can be life-threatening if not treated
- The man was airlifted to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx in unknown condition
A man was airlifted from his home on Long Island late Monday after he was bitten by a snake with potentially deadly venom, police said.
The 32-year-old man, Richard Downing, was bitten by the snake just before 11:15 p.m. at his home on Salem Avenue in West Babylon, according to police.
The snake that bit him is a one-foot Egyptian Saw-Scaled Viper, which is normally found in semi-deserts and dry savannas in places like Africa and the Middle East. Its bites can cause moderate to severe envenoming and can be life-threatening if not treated quickly.
Downing was apparently handling the snake — one of six venomous snakes that he owns — when the reptile latched onto him. He said it was a result of a "stupid mistake."
The Suffolk County Police Department helicopter airlifted the man to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, the only hospital in the tri-state that keeps anti-venom on hand. It's because of its proximity to the Bronx Zoo, which houses a number of venomous snake species.
Downing was treated and released later in the morning. By the time he got back, animal officials had already removed the vipers from the home.
Local
I'm just glad to be alive," he said. "I lose my animals but the public was kept safe."
The man also owns two rattlesnakes, one Monocled Cobra, one African Puff Adder and one Western African Viper. All of the snakes are illegal to own in New York and were likely purchased in Pennsylvania.
Downing could face criminal charges in the case.
