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Pilot makes emergency landing as deadly Cape Cobra that can kill NINE people in a single strike crawls up his shirt

'I think everyone froze for a moment or two,' said pilot Rudolph Erasmus after breaking the news of the snake to his passengers
PUBLISHED APR 6, 2023
 (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

WELKOM, SOUTH AFRICA: A pilot in South Africa was forced to make an emergency landing after he came across one of the most deadly encounters mid-air "crawling up his shirt." Rudolph Erasmus, 30, was flying four people in a small twin-prop plane, from Bloemfontein to Pretoria when he released a snake accompanying him and this was a Cape Cobra. 

The 30-year-old was flying 11,000 ft, when he said he tried to grab the venomous snake and ar first avoided telling the passengers to not cause panic. Eventually, he had to break the news informing them that they would be unexpectedly landing in Welkom. The Cape Cobra is a highly venomous snake found in southern Africa, that could wipe out 9 people with a single strike. 

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What really happened?

Mid-air Erasmus felt something cold rubbing against his skin from under his shirt. Initially, the pilot believed his water bottle was leaking on him, but when he looked down he saw a four-foot snake "receding its head backwards underneath the seat." Erasmus was more concerned about the safety of his passengers and calmy he explained the situation to the co-flyers and said of the moment, "You could hear a needle drop and I think everyone froze for a moment or two."

The pilot recalled how before taking off two others had said they saw a snake near the plane and realized it must have been slipped for the journey. After alerting about the snake, Erasmus said he was "so scared" the snake might have made its way back and caused panic. He swiftly made his immediate and unplanned stop in Welkom, the second largest city in South Africa's Free State province, about 90 miles northeast of their Bloemfontein starting point.

'A bite from a venomous snake can kill a human being in half an hour'

However, after safely landing in Welkom the pilot and the passengers found the snake had disappeared. Erasmus was lauded as a hero for his brave control of the situation by Poppy Khosa, the South African Civil Aviation commissioner. However, the humble pilot brushed off his praise and credited his passengers for their calm handling of the terror-stricken situation. He said, "It's also my passengers that remained calm as well," reported TimesLive. "This was definitely a first and not something you get trained to handle."

A bite from a venomous snake can kill a human being in half an hour. A Cape Cobra's venom affects the nervous system and can lead to respiratory failure, paralysis, and death. If promptly treated with antivenom, the chances of survival are high.

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