Snake on a shoestring
2003-02-18 23:50
Erieka Roux
Cape Town - A seven-year-old girl possibly owes her life to the quick reaction of a neighbour and his shoelace.
Shortly before midday last Saturday a very frightened Tasneem Maree ran into her house, and told her granny, Wilhelmina Maree, 52, that something had bitten her while she was climbing a tree in the veld opposite their home.
Her grandmother pulled down her denim pants and noticed two clear bite marks on her left inside thigh.
She ran outside calling for help. Meanwhile, an ambulance had been summoned from Caledon.
Maree said a neighbour, Leonard Mackriel, 35, came running and tied the shoelace tightly around the girl's leg.
The ambulance arrived 20 minutes later and an emergency helicopter airlifted Tasneem to the Tygerberg Hospital where she was put on a drip.
Tasneem's mother, Amelia Maree, 30, was at work when Tasneem was bitten, and arrived just in time to see the helicopter taking off.
Tasneem's grandfather, Fred Maree, 63, said he was so shocked, he set the veld where his granddaughter had been bitten alight. He was concerned that he might be charged for arson. Residents had been complaining about the dense vegetation for a while, he said.
Tasneem was discharged from hospital on Sunday night, but missed school on Monday.
At home she showed the bite marks, still clearly visible, to family and friends. She said she never saw the snake, but her friends did.
- Die Burger