A man from Torrington, Connecticut just wanted to help a rattlesnake he saw on the side of the road, but he ended up in a coma. The snake happened to be a timber rattlesnake, a venomous snake that’s “extremely rare” in the state. The man, 45-year-old Joseph Ricciardella, is now hospitalized in a medically induced coma.
Local news reports Ricciardella saw the snake while driving and wanted to make sure it didn’t get run over. The rattlesnake reportedly bit Ricciardella’s hand after he threw a shirt over it and tried to pick it up. After being bitten, Ricciardella drove himself to the hospital. On his way there, he called Brittany Hilmeyer, who told NBC Connecticut that his voice sounded off, like “Donald Duck.”
Once in the hospital, Ricciardella went into cardiac arrest. Medical professionals resuscitated him but later put him into a medically induced coma because the swelling from the rattlesnake venom was still so intense, Hilmeyer told NBC Connecticut.
The timber rattlesnake is one of two venomous snakes that live in Connecticut. The other is the northern copperhead. The State of Connecticut Wildlife Division says timber rattlesnakes are endangered and rarely seen in the state. It’s not clear whether Ricciardella knew he was helping an endangered species or not.
Robert Ricciardella, the vicim’s brother, told NBC Connecticut that he and Joseph used to catch snakes as kids. However, Robert is certain his brother would have known the dangers of handling a rattlesnake.