Emergency Crews Free Teenage Boy Being Squeezed By 15 Foot Python

[matcom]

<snip>

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- A pet python measuring 15 feet put the squeeze on a teenage boy Wednesday night.

The snake attack happened in Kansas.

The teen was showing off the 140-pound family pet when it coiled around his arm and began to squeeze, turning the boy's arm blue. The teen's brother, Andy Coombs, ran to get help.

"It bit onto his hand and just wrapped around and, like, came out of the cage onto him," Andy said. "My mom came downstairs and she was trying to help get it off, and then it got her hand ... we just called 911."

Emergency crews used a quick burst from a fire extinguisher to get the snake to loosen its grip just enough to free the boy. He was not seriously hurt.

http://www.wftv.com/family/3563751/detail.html

[Spinzonner]

1. Apparently the snake has grown very attached to his family

[LosinIt]

2. Why do people keep these things as pets??

When it can kill people and takes an emergency crew to free them??

[shadu]

4. Beats the hell out of me

Perhaps someone here who owns one will
'clue us in.'

[blindpig]

7. well, you just got to be careful

It's like anything else, guns, cars, high voltage, big dogs. I've been keeping reptiles all of my life and never had such an occurrence. Now, I've never kept any really big snakes but only because they're a hassle and expensive to keep fed but I currently have a pair of Amethystine Pythons, the female being 9'. These animals are rescues and I'm kind of stuck with them. They are savage unlike the snake in this story so they keep me on my toes. My guess is that this snake was late for feeding and sensing the hand which presents food just went on autopilot.
People give pre-teens firearms, gokarts and dirtbikes, which I am sure cause a whole lot more problems.
To be sure, many folks who buy these animals really shouldn't. I'd like to see sellers show more care in qualifying their customers but this is a capitalist society and responsibility is an afterthought.

[hlthe2b]

3. I have to give the EMTs credit... that was a smart thing to do...

on the otherhand: the family keeping on a 15 foot snake.....? :eyes:

[johncoby2]

5. The boy gave no interview. He was wrapped up at the time.

[Ellen Forradalom]

6. This would never have happened if he programmed in Perl

I've heard Python is a powerful language, but this is too much. :-)