Man bitten by viper during air-raid siren stresses importance of following emergency protocol

Yossi Bezalel, a 72-year-old resident of Kfar Saba, was bitten by a venomous viper while lying on the ground in response to sirens triggered by a missile that was launched from Yemen, Israeli media reported on Thursday morning.

"We moved away from our vehicles and went to the side of the road into a pit about a meter and a half deep to take cover. I put my hands on my head as instructed by the Home Front Command, and suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my left hand. I raised my head and saw that a snake had bitten me," Bezalel shared.

During the incident, Bezalel had taken a picture of the snake and called his wife to inform her that he was receiving medical treatment from a nearby Magen David Adom team. After the treatment, the MDA team reassured his wife, emphasizing that he was in stable condition and on his way to the hospital.

Bezalel explained that after being bitten, he felt shaky, pressure in his chest, and weakness in his legs. "I didn't know what was happening, but I started to feel unwell. They examined the wound and decided to treat me with antivenom because the swelling had spread in my hand. I entered intensive care at 9 a.m. the next morning and left at 4 p.m. I was discharged today."

"Next time there's an alert, I will definitely continue to follow the guidelines"

Bezalel then stressed that following the Home Front Command’s guidelines saved his life, "I see now how lucky it was that I put my hands on my head. The bite could have been on my head, which would have been much more dangerous. The next time there’s an alert, I will definitely continue to follow the guidelines. They save lives."