I couldn't even watch Snakes on a Plane...I can't imagine Snakes in a Bag!
Posted on 03/25/2008 12:42:22 PM PDT by aomagrat
McLEAN, VA (NBC) - A Virginia man is recovering after finding a deadly surprise in his luggage.
Andy Bacas was hospitalized after a snake he said he found in his suitcase bit the palm of his hand.
Arlington County Fire and Rescue was called Bacas' home after the snake bite.
Bacas, an Arlington County Public Schools coach, was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he spent the night.
He is in fair condition.
Bacas had just returned from a bus trip to a camp in Summerton, South Carolina with the Yorktown High School boys' crew team he coaches, and the snake was in his suitcase when he opened it.
Arlington County naturalists positively identified the snake as a juvenile canebrake rattlesnake.
The snakes are common in South Carolina but not in Virginia, where they are an endangered species.
"It does not belong here," said Arlington County senior naturalist Greg Zell. "It's not its natural habitat. They do occur in Virginia, but only in the southeast corner of Virginia."
Bacas' high school crew team spoke out about what happened to its coach.
"Those bags might have been outside for an hour," crew coach Drew Thiemann said. "I don't think it was even that long. I can only imagine that that's when that happened. Some snake came out of the woods or came out of the rocks and slithered into his bag."
"That's just something where it's one in a million chance," crew member James Herring said. "You're just unlucky."
Crew practice was canceled on Monday afternoon when the team learned of the accident.
"What we were told to do if we find a snake, just back up, not too fast," crew member Laus Schmidt-Rose said. "Leave the room and get someone to help you."
Wildlife experts said the snake was most likely seeking warmth when it slithered into Bacas' bag.
Animal control used a fire extinguisher to freeze the snake, which killed it.
Experts say if you encounter a snake slowly back away from it, and call for help.
Or just shoot the damn thing.
attempted murder,”its a jungle out there”....bring in Monk
“I am sick of these @%&#&%@ snakes on this @%&#@$*^@&# plane!!!
Somethings not right about the story.
Practical joke gone awry?
What do you do if someone calls you for help?
Ouch! I always hate when that happens.
HAHA! ya beat me to it...
I thought practical joke, too. Sounds like just the kind of thing a team full of adolescents would consider a real howler.
On the other hand, I suppose it is possible that he put the bag down in some tempting place and the thing slithered into it.
exactly what i was thinking!
That’ll teach him not to diss Xenu.
I’m not sure what a “crew team” is, but surely no one among them is dumb enough to handle a rattlesnake and put it in the coach’s luggage as a “joke”.
I couldn't even watch Snakes on a Plane...I can't imagine Snakes in a Bag!
ping
a crew team rows.
Yeah, here's your clue.
%20(3%20teachers2)/sneaky.jpg)
Snakes are dangerous and account for many deaths of innocent Americans each year. I think we better legislate them. A 5 day waiting period and full criminal background check is a must. We also must have them all registered, with teethe inprints and poison data on record for future forensic testing.
Thanks! Now I know more than a did just a minute ago—LOL! I figured it had to be some team thing-—just didn’t think of rowing, as I’ve never paid much attention to that sport.
And definitely no concealed carry.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.