Umdloti teen’s miraculous mamba escape

When Umdloti teenager Liall Struckman spent a day fishing at Hazelmere Dam last week, he did not imagine that one of Africa’s most notorious snakes would send him to ICU that same afternoon.

“We were walking through a section of long grass on the way to a fishing spot, when I felt a prick on my leg. Seconds later, my dad’s friend, Bushpig shouted out that there is a black mamba in the grass. I looked down at my leg and saw two puncture marks and some blood,” said the 18-year-old, Crawford College North Coast matric pupil.

“We ran to the car and my dad (Ryan) phoned Umhlanga Hospital and rushed me there.”

Also read: There’s a mamba in my car!

By the time they arrived at the hospital, his leg had swollen and he could not walk.

“The bite was not sore, but my hands and mouth were tingling and my teeth and jaw felt sore, like after a rough dentist visit. I felt like I was vibrating, started vomiting and got muscle spasms.”

Luckily, a snake expert happened to be at the hospital when they arrived and advised not to give Liall any anti-venom.

“They didn’t give me anything for pain, as it hides the symptoms and as long as you do not go into a coma and can breathe properly, the lady said it is better not to have the anti-venom, as it can make you sick.”

After two nights in ICU, the swelling had come down and he was moved to a ward where he recovered enough to be sent home on crutches and with strict instructions to keep his leg up for the next 100 hours. His dad said they were incredibly lucky that Liall got away so lightly.

“Apparently black mambas often give a warning bite that does not have as much venom in it. We assume this is what happened to Liall. We are so grateful that he is OK,” said Ryan.

Snake expert, Neville Wolmerans said Hazelmere is prime black mamba territory.

“Black mamba venom is a potent neurotoxin that shuts down the central nervous system. Death is as a result of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. The initial symptoms are a throbbing pain at the site of the bite. This normally dissipates quite rapidly to be replaced by a tingling sensation.

“The victim will feel lightheaded and become nauseous. The victim will experience difficulty breathing and cardiac arrest will follow shortly after that,” said Wolmerans.

He said black mambas can be identified by their size.

“They are large snakes, hatching at 480 to 600mm out of the egg and should reach 1.6m to 2m by the first year. An average adult is about 2.5m long, but can reach up to 4m. The colour is light to dark grey, the sides of the face are noticeably lighter than the body.”

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