Basel, Sept 15. (dpa/GNA) – A climber was bitten by a venomous snake while climbing on steep terrain in Switzerland, the Swiss air rescue service Rega said on Tuesday.
As his hand swelled up rapidly, he and his companion made an emergency call. A rescue helicopter was immediately dispatched.
The 35-year-old was flown out of the hard-to-reach terrain on a rope, and taken to a hospital in Bern, which has the necessary antivenom. Rega declined to comment on the man’s nationality or his state of health.
The incident occurred on Monday in Balsthal, around 50 kilometres south of Basel. According to reports, the snake is likely to be an asp viper, which is native to the region.
The animal grows to between 60 and 80 centimetres in length and is not generally considered aggressive.
“In a few cases, an asp viper’s bite can lead to paralysis,” the Poison Information Centre in Bonn said.
GNA