In the US, Paramedics Face Dismissal for Saving a Man from a Snake Bite (8 photos + 1 video)

A Kentucky medical team faces losing their licenses for using antivenom. Eddie Barnes and his colleague quickly administered the necessary medication when reptile trainer James Harrison was bitten by a mamba. This Central African reptile is known for its deadly venom, capable of killing an adult human within half an hour. The paramedics saved the life, but it turns out they broke the law.





Paramedics tried in vain to contact the head of the ambulance service before administering the injection.



"The victim asked us to administer the antidote immediately. He warned that if we didn't, paralysis would occur first, then respiratory arrest, and then cardiac arrest. "At the end, he said, 'I'm going to die,'" Barnes recalls.

While they waited for the air ambulance, Barnes and his colleague administered the life-saving injection to the trainer.

The medics tried to contact the supervisor before administering the injection. However, the supervisor was unavailable.

In Kentucky, paramedics are prohibited from administering the antidote.





According to the Daily Mail, had they reached the supervisor, they would have been ordered not to administer the antidote.

"I'll be honest with you, this is absurd," Barnes said, criticizing the law.

"If we had sat back and let him die, we would have been morally and legally responsible. We could have been prosecuted," Harrison said in an interview.





The paramedic believes his actions were the right ones.

"If the situation were to happen again today, I would do exactly the same thing."

James Harrison and his wife, Kristen Wiley, consulted with specialists, who supported Barnes's decision.

"All the doctors we discussed this situation with believe the team was heroic and did everything possible to save him. These are the kind of specialists I want by my side in emergency situations," Wiley said.





Barnes and his colleague will appear in court on September 30.

Social media users are advising the defendants to bring James's mamba to the hearing and let it bite someone there.



Many are also interested in how the mamba arrived in Kentucky from Africa.

Finding accurate data on mamba exports is difficult, as the latest statistics cover the period from 2013 to 2017. At that time, 102 individuals were listed for North America and Europe. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this species is not endangered.

Furthermore, James's mamba rarely poses a threat to humans due to its shy nature. In contrast, the black mamba, although equally venomous, is capable of reaching speeds of up to 16 kilometers per hour and hunting humans.