SHEFFIELD LAKE, OH (AP) – An Ohio woman called 911 in a panic Thursday afternoon with ample reason: A 5 1/2-foot long boa constrictor she had rescued a day earlier had wrapped itself around her neck, was biting her face and wouldn’t let go.
“Please hurry,” the frightened woman told a dispatcher. “He’s biting my nose.”
The dispatcher sent firefighters and police to the woman’s home in Sheffield Lake, a community about 25 miles west of Cleveland in Lorain County, but seemed stumped.
“I’ve never heard of this before,” the dispatcher is heard saying in a recording of the woman’s call.
Rescuers arrived within minutes and found the woman lying in the bloodied driveway of her home, the snake holding tight just as she described. A firefighter cut off the snake’s head with a pocket knife and the 45-year-old woman, who hasn’t been identified, was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment.
The woman told the dispatcher during the call she had rescued two boa constrictors on Wednesday and that she owned nine ball pythons.911 transcript:
911 Dispatcher: “911, What’s the location of your emergency?”
Caller:Help please. I have a boa constrictor stuck to my my face.”
911 Dispatcher: “Maam, you have a what?”
Caller: “A boa constrictor.”
911 Dispatcher: “You are outside with a boa constrictor stuck to your face.”
Caller: “Yes, I just rescued it yesterday. Please!”
911 Dispatcher: “You arrested the boa constrictor yesterday?”
Caller: “I rescued it.”
911 Dispatcher: “Ok ma’am. How old are you?”
Caller:”I am forty-five.”
911 Dispatcher: “Alright, stay on the line please. I have never heard this before Sheffield Lake fire for EMS.”
Caller:”Please hurry. He’s biting my nose.”
911 Dispatcher: “Ma’am I’ve notified the ambulance and the fire…. police department. So the boa constrictor has a hold of your nose?”
Caller: “Yes.”
911 Dispatcher: “Can you pry its jaw open if you pinch its jaw?
Caller: “No, there is blood everywhere.”
911 Dispatcher: “And its jaw won’t open?”
Caller: “No”
911 Dispatcher: “Ok, how big of a snake are we talking about ma’am?”
Caller: “It’s about five and a half feet.”
911 Dispatcher: “5 1/2 feet and you say you rescued it yesterday?”
Caller: “Yes, I rescued two.”
911 Dispatcher: “You rescued two? Is the other one put away?”
Caller: “Yes all my snakes are put away.”
911 Dispatcher: “How many snakes do you have maam?”
Caller: “I have 11.”
911 Dispatcher: “You have 11 snakes?
Caller:”They’re all Ball Pythons excepts these two I rescued.”
911 Dispatcher: “Ok. Are you having any difficulty breathing or swallowing?”
Caller: “Yes, I’m on the ground.”
911 Dispatcher: “Ok, are you having any difficulty breathing ma’am?”
Caller:”No, I’m just scared.”
911 Dispatcher: “Ok..And do you know if the snake is poisonous?”
Caller:”No, it’s not poisonous.”
911 Dispatcher: “It’s not poisonous? Ok, are you outside or out front?”
Caller: “Oh God. Hurry please.”
911 Dispatcher: Maam the ambulance and police are coming. Are you outside or out front?”
