An urgent warning has been issued after a golfer was bitten by the UK’s only deadly snake.
Ben Bishop, 57, was looking for one of his golf balls in the rough at Cobtree Manor golf club when an adder bit his right foot.
Following the incident, Mr Bishop was rushed to hospital after he developed a rush and began to struggle to breathe.
Staff at first suspected he had gone into anaphylactic shock before they discovered the bite on his heel and realised what had happened.
Speaking about the incident, Mr Bishop said it was “extraordinary” that something “minor” could lead to the body shutting down.
The Sun reported that Mr Bishop said: “I was rummaging around in dead twigs and branches and suddenly got an unusually sharp hot needle feeling straight in my heel.
“Half an hour later I could feel my face going numb. I was struggling to breathe, swallowing was difficult and I was shaking and sweaty.
“You wouldn’t believe that something apparently quite minor can lead to your body shutting down. It’s extraordinary.”
Mr Bishop is now recovering following the snake attack and was able to see the humorous side after his friends gave him a rubber snake.
Mr Bishop added that he is now a little more cautious before searching for a ball in the rough. He explained: “I’m fit as a fiddle now and still golfing, but for a few weeks I was very wary of going anywhere near the undergrowth.
“If the ball goes into the rough now I take a penalty and hit a second one instead of looking for the first one.”
Mr Bishop isn’t the first person to be bitten by an adder in the UK. In May, Tracey Evans was bitten by one of the snakes on her big toe while walking in Alver Valley Country Park.
After the attack, Ms Evans was hospitalised and had to miss her daughter’s surprise birthday party.
Speaking to the BBC she said: “I had a very small bite on my big toe – up to my knee my leg is rock solid where it’s so swollen. The pain is like nothing I’ve ever felt. I can’t even put my foot on the ground – the pain is excruciating.
“I’ve walked my dogs there for five years and I’ve never seen an adder. I didn’t see this one until it struck. It’s a valuable lesson learnt. Don’t wear flip-flops, even though it’s sunny.”
Adders in the UK can grow up to 34 inches and while a bite can be deadly these are rare with just 14 fatalities from adder bites since 1876.
According to the charity Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, between 50 and 100 Brits are bitten by adders every single year.
