Man Bit By Rattlesnake After Putting It in His Mouth to Impress Ex-Girlfriend
‘Snake collector Matt Wilkinson of Portland grabbed a 20-inch rattler from the highway near Maupin, and three weeks later, to impress his ex-girlfriend, he stuck the serpent in his mouth.
He was soon near death with a swollen tongue that blocked his throat. Trauma doctors at the Oregon Health and Science University saved his life.
“You can assume alcohol was involved,” he said. Actually, not just beer. It was something he called a “mixture of stupid stuff.” [..]
Wilkinson, 23, had downed a six-pack and his ex-girlfriend asked him for a beer. He handed her one, not realizing the snake was also in his hand.
“She said, ‘Get that thing out of my face,'” Wilkinson said. “I told her it was a nice snake. ‘Nothing can happen. Watch.'”‘
