http://newsok.com/always-faithful-pals-help-save-marines-life-after-snakebite/article/5394579
Second Lt. Anthony Kemp was bitten by a rattlesnake while he and two other Marines were hiking in the Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma.
LAWTON For three Marines hiking in the Wichita Mountains earlier this month, the Corps motto of Semper Fidelis Latin for always faithful played out in ways none of them expected when a large rattlesnake bit 2nd Lt. Anthony Kemp, 23, almost killing him.
Youre always faithful to your brother, Kemp said Wednesday from his hospital bed at OU Medical Center, where he is recovering from the bite and the resulting above-the-knee amputation of his left leg. That definitely played out. They werent going to leave me.
Feb. 7 started out as a day of celebration for Kemp and his buddies, Matthew Holliday and Taylor Quackenbush, both second lieutenants and part of a small class of Marines training at Fort Sill to become artillery officers.
The three men had just completed a tough week of testing and wanted to get out and enjoy the terrain in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, a 59,000-acre expanse adjacent to Fort Sill and maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
After a late start, the three set out in the early afternoon on an unseasonably warm day, hiking up one mountain before deciding to try another.
The friends walked in column, Kemp last. In the valley, while walking through brush, Kemp heard a hiss, not a rattle, then felt excruciating pain. As the rattlesnakes fangs sank into his calf, Kemp fell and then began having a seizure.
There was absolutely no warning, said Kemp, he grew up on Long Island, N.Y., and joined the Marines two years ago.
His fellow Marines rushed to his aid, one helping him to stand while the other dialed 911.
Their only way out was on foot, walking across the top of a nearby dam to avoid another descent into the steep valley.
My mindset was if I went into the valley, I wasnt going to have enough strength to get out, Kemp said.
The three men eventually reached a clearing, where they were met by a park ranger.
Kemp said he became nauseated, his leg swelled and his heart began to pound. He thought he might not survive.
One of the last things I remember is as soon as the sheriff laid me down, I looked at my buddy and told him to text my mom and tell her I love her, Kemp said.
Meanwhile, his friends drew on their Marine training to clear a landing pad for a helicopter. Beyond that, they offered support and reassurance to Kemp throughout the ordeal.
My friends were very comforting the entire time, Kemp said. If it wasnt for them, I definitely would have been dead.
In a news conference Wednesday at Fort Sill, Holliday, who is from North Carolina, and Quackenbush, a Georgia native, said it took about 40 or 50 minutes for help to arrive.
A helicopter first flew Kemp to Lawton and then to OU Medical Center. Several days later, doctors amputated his left leg above the knee.
He also received 32 doses of antivenin, an antidote to the snake venom.
While antivenin wont reverse the damage from the snakebite, it can prevent it from spreading and causing clotting issues.
Rare ordeal
Scott Schaeffer, managing director of the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information, said Kemps ordeal is rare.
Venomous snakebites are deadly because the poison eats up blood platelets; clots will not form. A snakebite victim risks internal bleeding that can lead to death.
Swelling also can interfere with blood supply to a limb, sometimes necessitating amputations, Schaeffer said.
Medical center staff have told Kemp he is extremely lucky to be alive and already have asked permission to use his story in training scenarios.
Kemp plans to continue his recovery, rehabilitate at a military medical center and learn to walk with a prosthetic. He said he still will have a career with the Marines.
Kemp emphasized that hes not special just lucky to be alive and to have such good friends.
It was a combination of not wanting to let my friends down, my friends sure as hell not wanting to let me down, and then, the rescue workers, especially here at the hospital (OU); theyve been absolutely outstanding, Kemp said.
What to do
Forty-six species of snakes call Oklahoma home. Seven are venomous, including copperheads, cottonmouths and five species of rattlesnakes. A snakebites severity depends on the size of the snake, how much venom is injected into the victim and the size of the victim, experts say.
Schaeffer said Kemps friends did everything right.
The best thing to do after a snakebite is to immediately go to the nearest emergency room.
Experts advise that on the way to the hospital, a victim should remove jewelry.
Do not apply ice or a tourniquet or take pain medication unless instructed by a doctor.
Its not necessary to trap the snake and bring it in, but its a good idea to note details about the snakes size, markings and coloring or have a friend or family member take a picture of the animal if thats a safe option.
And, call the National Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222 to report the bite.
Schaeffer said you should not try to cut the bite area with a knife or suck the poison from a snakebite, which can increase chances of infection.
Kemp is simply happy to be alive.
I was, again, very fortunate my friends were there and were able to not only keep me moving, kind of keep my head in the game, Kemp said. They very much saved my life.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great story. It's unfortunate he lost part of his leg but he'll benefit from what has been learned about prosthetics and rehab from those injured by IEDs. It's also great he'll be able to continue as a Marine officer.
It's my understanding that rattlesnakes are very sensitive early in the season when first emerging to good weather from their dens. It appears that may be the case here. Every snake I've ever encountered at WMWR were only observed when they were headed away from me. Glad they put the info in the article about how to deal with snakebites since there's so much misinformation out there.
Second Lt. Anthony Kemp was bitten by a rattlesnake while he and two other Marines were hiking in the Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma.
LAWTON For three Marines hiking in the Wichita Mountains earlier this month, the Corps motto of Semper Fidelis Latin for always faithful played out in ways none of them expected when a large rattlesnake bit 2nd Lt. Anthony Kemp, 23, almost killing him.
Youre always faithful to your brother, Kemp said Wednesday from his hospital bed at OU Medical Center, where he is recovering from the bite and the resulting above-the-knee amputation of his left leg. That definitely played out. They werent going to leave me.
Feb. 7 started out as a day of celebration for Kemp and his buddies, Matthew Holliday and Taylor Quackenbush, both second lieutenants and part of a small class of Marines training at Fort Sill to become artillery officers.
The three men had just completed a tough week of testing and wanted to get out and enjoy the terrain in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, a 59,000-acre expanse adjacent to Fort Sill and maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
After a late start, the three set out in the early afternoon on an unseasonably warm day, hiking up one mountain before deciding to try another.
The friends walked in column, Kemp last. In the valley, while walking through brush, Kemp heard a hiss, not a rattle, then felt excruciating pain. As the rattlesnakes fangs sank into his calf, Kemp fell and then began having a seizure.
There was absolutely no warning, said Kemp, he grew up on Long Island, N.Y., and joined the Marines two years ago.
His fellow Marines rushed to his aid, one helping him to stand while the other dialed 911.
Their only way out was on foot, walking across the top of a nearby dam to avoid another descent into the steep valley.
My mindset was if I went into the valley, I wasnt going to have enough strength to get out, Kemp said.
The three men eventually reached a clearing, where they were met by a park ranger.
Kemp said he became nauseated, his leg swelled and his heart began to pound. He thought he might not survive.
One of the last things I remember is as soon as the sheriff laid me down, I looked at my buddy and told him to text my mom and tell her I love her, Kemp said.
Meanwhile, his friends drew on their Marine training to clear a landing pad for a helicopter. Beyond that, they offered support and reassurance to Kemp throughout the ordeal.
My friends were very comforting the entire time, Kemp said. If it wasnt for them, I definitely would have been dead.
In a news conference Wednesday at Fort Sill, Holliday, who is from North Carolina, and Quackenbush, a Georgia native, said it took about 40 or 50 minutes for help to arrive.
A helicopter first flew Kemp to Lawton and then to OU Medical Center. Several days later, doctors amputated his left leg above the knee.
He also received 32 doses of antivenin, an antidote to the snake venom.
While antivenin wont reverse the damage from the snakebite, it can prevent it from spreading and causing clotting issues.
Rare ordeal
Scott Schaeffer, managing director of the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information, said Kemps ordeal is rare.
Venomous snakebites are deadly because the poison eats up blood platelets; clots will not form. A snakebite victim risks internal bleeding that can lead to death.
Swelling also can interfere with blood supply to a limb, sometimes necessitating amputations, Schaeffer said.
Medical center staff have told Kemp he is extremely lucky to be alive and already have asked permission to use his story in training scenarios.
Kemp plans to continue his recovery, rehabilitate at a military medical center and learn to walk with a prosthetic. He said he still will have a career with the Marines.
Kemp emphasized that hes not special just lucky to be alive and to have such good friends.
It was a combination of not wanting to let my friends down, my friends sure as hell not wanting to let me down, and then, the rescue workers, especially here at the hospital (OU); theyve been absolutely outstanding, Kemp said.
What to do
Forty-six species of snakes call Oklahoma home. Seven are venomous, including copperheads, cottonmouths and five species of rattlesnakes. A snakebites severity depends on the size of the snake, how much venom is injected into the victim and the size of the victim, experts say.
Schaeffer said Kemps friends did everything right.
The best thing to do after a snakebite is to immediately go to the nearest emergency room.
Experts advise that on the way to the hospital, a victim should remove jewelry.
Do not apply ice or a tourniquet or take pain medication unless instructed by a doctor.
Its not necessary to trap the snake and bring it in, but its a good idea to note details about the snakes size, markings and coloring or have a friend or family member take a picture of the animal if thats a safe option.
And, call the National Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222 to report the bite.
Schaeffer said you should not try to cut the bite area with a knife or suck the poison from a snakebite, which can increase chances of infection.
Kemp is simply happy to be alive.
I was, again, very fortunate my friends were there and were able to not only keep me moving, kind of keep my head in the game, Kemp said. They very much saved my life.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Great story. It's unfortunate he lost part of his leg but he'll benefit from what has been learned about prosthetics and rehab from those injured by IEDs. It's also great he'll be able to continue as a Marine officer.
It's my understanding that rattlesnakes are very sensitive early in the season when first emerging to good weather from their dens. It appears that may be the case here. Every snake I've ever encountered at WMWR were only observed when they were headed away from me. Glad they put the info in the article about how to deal with snakebites since there's so much misinformation out there.
