Snake influencer’s habit of getting up close and personal with venomous reptiles backfires horribly
A snake influencer known for his close and personal interactions with the venomous reptiles learned his lesson after being brutally bitten by one.
David Orin, 25, ventured to Florida’s Shired Island on December 18 when a four-foot-long eastern diamondback rattlesnake attacked him.
He was left with a bloody gash on his leg as he calmly said to his friends, “Welp.” I’m done’, as they looked at him in complete shock.
Orin, who has 1.4 million followers on Instagram and 2.3 million on TikTok, captured the encounter after he was bitten, even capturing the “fabulous” reptile rattling its tail as he moved his camera closer to it .
“Okay, there’s a fantastic eastern diamondback rattlesnake that just bit me on the leg because I didn’t notice it when I peeled the bark off,” Orin said as blood dripped from his lower leg.
The snake hunter then casually informed his friends that they needed to get back to the car because “I’m about to lose my ability to walk.”
He recalled that just a minute after I reached the car, “my whole body shut down and I thought I was going to die.”
Orin was then rushed to a Cross City fire station before being airlifted to Shands Hospital, where he remains almost two weeks after the near-death experience.
David Orin, 25, was looking for his favorite reptiles on Florida’s Shired Island on December 18 when a four-foot-long eastern diamondback rattlesnake attacked him
The venomous reptile bit Orin on the leg as he recorded himself as ‘Cub’. I’m done’ before rushing back to the car and receiving medical attention
Orin is recovering “slowly but steadily” in hospital and has received “50 vials of antivenom, numerous fluids, medications, treatments and procedures,” a doctor said. GoFundMe created to help him while he heals.
On Monday, Orin – who describes himself on social media as an “adventurer” and “professional snake fighter” – shared a video of himself in intensive care, addressing the terrifying encounter.
He claimed that snakes are “beautiful animals created by God” and launched a Christian story about how “man’s disobedience” in the Garden of Eden had led to animals like snakes evolving and becoming predators.
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is considered the most venomous snake in North America.
Up to 30 percent of people bitten by the animal will die if they do not receive anti-venom treatment.
Being bitten by one of the predators has been likened to being stabbed by two hot hypodermic needles, with a series of grim side effects quickly developing.
He recalled that just a minute after reaching the car, “my whole body shut down and I thought I was going to die.”
Orin is recovering “slowly but steadily” 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 long ones that protect against bites!) when you’re 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 retreated, “while rattling.”
Orin, visibly dizzy, lay in a hospital bed and said he felt like his “shin bone was going to explode” after being hit by the reptile.
He then showed a photo of his bruised leg as the video cut to him saying, “I’m afraid I’m going to die, but hopefully not.”
He then showed a photo of his bruised leg as the video cut to him saying, “I’m afraid I’m going to die, but hopefully not.”
A GoFundMe page has been created to raise money to cover Orin’s medical expenses
As of Tuesday afternoon, the donation page has raised more than $24,600 to help Orin and his wife Emma pay medical bills and help them make ends meet while the couple takes time off from work.
His wife shared images Monday of Orin in physical therapy as he “gradually” tried to put weight on his injured leg while holding on to a walker.
In another video you saw how he stretched his ‘tense muscles’ with a nurse in the hospital.
When he was taken to the hospital, Emma, a nurse, was working shifts there. Newsweek reported.
‘I feel really hopeful and I am so well taken care of! Caring for David is an honor. The first week here in the hospital was so scary, but our loved ones filled in all the gaps that I couldn’t do on my own,” Emma told the outlet.
“My hope in Jesus has sustained me the most through all of this.
When he was taken to the hospital, Emma, a nurse, was working shifts there. (Photo: Orin and Emma)
His wife shared images of Orin during physiotherapy on Monday, stretching his ‘tense muscles’ with a nurse in the hospital.
“The latest 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 isn’t the first time Orin has had a bad encounter with a snake, as the herpetologist has had him bitten by the wild reptiles in the past to inform others about them.
Footage showed him jumping into the water behind a Burmese python before wrapping the animal around his neck.
In another clip, the Gainesville resident held a Gulf Saltmarsh snake that bit him on the lip, leaving it bloody.
In his videos, he even assesses how painful snake bites are as he had one of the reptiles clamp his index finger.
The animal lover said the snake had ‘no bite pressure’ and ‘very weak jaws’, rating the bite a one out of ten.