During his exploration of Shired Island in Dixie County, Humplett was actively seeking out snakes.
He encountered an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which attacked him unexpectedly.
After the venomous snake bit his leg, Humplett remarked: “Welp, I’m cooked. Alright, that right there is a fantastic Eastern diamondback Rattlesnake that I just got bit in the leg by when I was peeling bark.”
According to WCJB, the influencer was removing bark from a tree to locate another snake species when he disturbed the rattlesnake.
“And then I just felt, out of nowhere, this intense pain, right in my leg. Honestly, it felt like an alligator,” Humplett shared with WCJB.
After the incident, Humplett was swiftly taken to the hospital, concerned for his survival.
“My reaction was just like dang it, this is really bad,” he remembered. “I might lose my leg. It was pretty scary because my whole body went numb head to toe.”
He received 88 vials of anti-venom as his leg swelled dramatically, and he remains in the intensive care unit as the new year begins.
Emma Rynear, Humplett’s wife, has also spoken to the press about her husband’s harrowing experience.
“Internally, I’m panicking but externally, I’m reassuring him, ‘You’re going to be fine’,” she told WCJB. “My team here at work helped me run down to the emergency room to be right there as the helicopter landed.”
Humplett reflected: “That’s just the God we serve. He turns things that seem crappy and makes them really beautiful.”
Following the incident, Humplett is likely counting his blessings, especially since he described the rattlesnake as ‘the worst snake you can be bit by in Florida’.
His leg, which remains purple, felt as if it was going to explode, he added. Humplett has established a ‘recovery fund’ on GoFundMe to assist with medical expenses and support for his family.
The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the longest and heaviest venomous snake in North America, with an average length of three to six feet, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. Their bites can be lethal to humans, making Humplett’s survival a remarkable stroke of luck.