Sergeant Wrestles Snake, Rescues Woman

Sergeant Wrestles Snake, Rescues Woman
Victim Asks Rescuers Not To Harm Burmese Python, Police Say

POSTED: 5:30 pm EDT April 18, 2008


EUGENE, Ore. -- A 12-foot snake attacked a female employee of a pet store, prompting assistance from police, firefighters and emergency personnel Thursday.

Sgt. Ryan Nelson had never tangled with a snake larger than a garter snake before Thursday, reported KPTV in Portland.

All that changed, however, when he responded to a 911 call at 3:41 p.m. to find a woman in a Eugene pet store completely wrapped by a 12-foot Burmese python that was slowly constricting around her, police said.

Nelson saw the woman was in grave danger and feared for her life. But as he pulled out his knife in preparation to save the woman, matters got more difficult.

She pleaded with Nelson not to injure the snake.

So at risk to himself, Nelson complied and began his rescue attempt by trying to wrench the snake's mouth off of the woman's finger -- the snake had begun its attack by biting onto the woman's finger, wrapping itself around her wrist, arm then shoulder and moving toward her throat, police said.

Nelson managed to pry the snake's jaws partially off the woman's finger. A few of the snake's teeth got lodged in his thumb. Then emergency personnel used a screwdriver to free the woman's finger from the jaws of the reptile.

Nelson then put his own squeeze on the snake’s neck and was helped by fire and EMS members to unwrap the snake from the woman.

Nelson then started the task of returning the snake to the cage –- the entrance to which was above head level.

The snake fought itself free and lunged for Nelson, but he grabbed the head again and finally wrestled it into its enclosure.

As he shut the door the angry serpent's head shot forth once more, trying to get in one last bite.

The jaws met only glass.

Neither the woman nor the snake was seriously injured in the ordeal, police said.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/15926675/detail.html

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Officer wrestles escaped snake after Eugene pet store attack

12:06 PM PDT on Friday, April 18, 2008

By DAVID KROUGH, kgw.com Staff

EUGENE -- A Eugene police officer can now add snake wrestler to his list of skills after an attack on a pet store worker Thursday.

Police said they were called to the pet store on Elmira around 3:30 p.m. on a report that a 12-foot Burmese Python had latched onto the woman and wrapped itself around her.

Fire and rescue crews found her on the ground and said the snake was about to wrap itself around her neck, putting her in what they said was “grave” danger as it coiled tighter.



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Police Sergeant Ryan Nelson was about to use his knife to get the snake free, but the victim pleaded for the snake’s life.

Nelson and another firefighter were finally able to pry the snake’s mouth open and uncoil it after a struggle, freeing the woman.

But after Nelson got the snake into its cage, the huge reptile escaped and tried to attack Nelson, police said. He grabbed the snake behind the head and was able to wrestle it back into a bigger cage. The python also tried to get in one last jab, but ran into the glass while trying to lunge at the officer.

The snake lost a couple of teeth in the ordeal, but no one suffered any serious injuries.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/storie....77d89fb3.html