SC lawmaker spent days in ICU after venomous snake bite

LEXINGTON,SC (WOLO)- A state lawmaker spent days in the intensive care unit after a venomous snake bite in Lexington.

“When I was told earlier that if I go into politics that I need to be careful of snakes in the swamp I didn’t know it was literal,” State Rep. Chris Wooten said.

Wooten was walking back to home from his neighbors house when this copperhead snake drove his fangs into his foot.

“I jumped up and kind of flung him off,” Wooten said. “It got onto the driveway and in the street light I could see it was a snake.”

Acting fast, Wotten grabbed a brick and killed it.  He then drove himself to the hospital.

“It felt like I had been shot in the foot,” Wotten said. “It made a popping sound when it hit my foot. It was kind of scary.”

After being in the ER for 15 minutes, his foot started to swell.

“It got to about an inch from my toe up to my ankle and they realized it was time to get the anti-venom,” Wotten said.

After nearly two days in the ICU Wooten was finally released on Tuesday.  He’s now on the road to recovery and is sharing his story as a warning for others.

“Just be alert,” Wotten said. “Don’t be scared, but be alert that there are snakes in the grass.”