Central Florida man credits firefighters for saving life after snake bite

BARTOW, Fla. — A Central Florida man credited a Polk County Fire Rescue team for saving his life after he was bitten by a 5½-foot rattlesnake.

Jerome Roddenberry was bitten April 9 by at the River Ranch hunting grounds in eastern Polk County.

When fire rescue crews arrived, they realized that Roddenberry needed advanced medical care. He was airlifted to Osceola Regional Medical Center so he could receive antivenin.

Officials said Roddenberry received 32 vials of antivenin at the hospital.

Roddenberry was reunited Friday with some of the firefighters who rescued him.

He told firefighters that the bite didn't hurt but "things got bad fast."

Roddenberry said he couldn't take more than 10 steps after the bite and he couldn't remember anything that happened after that.

"You saved my life," he told firefighters. "You kept me going until I got to the hospital."

Cox Media Group