Rattlesnake Jumps Out And Bites Amazon Driver In Florida

PALM CITY, Fla. (AP) — An Amazon driver is in serious condition after being bitten by a rattlesnake while making a delivery to a Florida home, officials said Tuesday.

The woman placed a box next to the home’s front door Monday evening when the eastern diamondback snake jumped out and bit her, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

She immediately became ill and called out for help.

She was taken to the hospital, where the sheriff’s office said she was in “very serious” condition Tuesday. Her name and age were not released. Officials caught the snake and it was euthanized.

Eastern diamondbacks are common in the Southeast U.S. and are the largest rattlesnake. They can grow to about 7 feet (2 meters) in length, but are more commonly about 4 feet (1.2 meters). The toxinology.com website maintained by an Australian university says the eastern diamondback’s bite is fatal in 10% to 20% of cases if not treated.

Martin County is on Florida’s Atlantic coast just north of Palm Beach.