Man puts rattler in mouth, almost dies

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- From the what-was-he-thinking file -- an Oregon man nearly died after putting a pet rattlesnake in his mouth to impress his friends.

Portland resident Matt Wilkenson admitted he made a poor decision, but said he'd been drinking with friends and apparently wasn't thinking with a clear head, Portland television station KGW reported.

“It's actually kind of my own stupid fault,” Wilkenson said of the incident three weeks ago.

Wilkenson said he’s always felt comfortable with his pet snakes and thought they reciprocated. So, when showing off his close, personal friendship with the reptiles, he thought it'd be fun to put the Eastern Diamondback rattler -- face first -- in his mouth for a laugh.

What happened next wasn't funny. The rattlesnake latched onto the back of Wilkenson's throat, sending venom into his body. His tongue began to swell, cutting off his airway.

He was dying.

Doctors at Oregon Health and Science University inserted a breathing tube into Wilkensons' throat and injected anti-venom into his body. They also put him into an-induced coma for three days to allow his body to recover.

Wilkenson's mending nicely and the rattler's gone.