The shocking minutes of the emergency rescuers’ efforts to keep alive a young woman who was bitten by a snake in Thessaloniki, was recorded on video by a member of the crew of the mobile ambulance unit.

It was the afternoon of May 26, when 39-year-old Konstantina, a volunteer herpetologist, was called to trap a viper at the 64th Primary School of Thessaloniki, which had been spotted by a school teacher. The viper caught up and bit the 39-year-old the moment it caught her. The woman went into anaphylactic shock. As soon as the professor realized what happened, he notified EKAV.

In two minutes, two motorcycle rescuers of the EKAV arrived at the scene. Seeing the seriousness of the girl’s condition, they called an ambulance and a mobile unit of the EKAB.

The video of the girl’s rescue shows the shocking efforts made by the doctor of the mobile unit to intubate her. The images recorded by the camera are harsh and testify to the zeal with which the people of EKAB fight to save a human life.

The doctor and the EKAV rescuers successfully provided first aid to the 39-year-old and transported her intubated to the “Papanikolou” hospital. The volunteer herpetologist fought another hard battle in intensive care for 8 days, breathing with mechanical support. She was then discharged from the intensive care unit, as her health condition had improved significantly. The 39-year-old emerged victorious from the multi-day battle in the hospital and returned home, in the arms of her 5-year-old child.

“If it wasn’t for EKAV, I wouldn’t be here today”

After about four months, Konstantina recounts what she experienced that day and warmly thanks the EKAB rescuers who saved her life, as she emphasizes. “I went to release the animal from the school. In the course of my business and with a little mishandling of mine, I received a bite which put me in a difficult situation” describes the 39-year-old herpetologist. “I didn’t realize anything in those seconds,” he added. “I asked the school teacher to immediately contact EKAB because I felt it was a difficult situation,” explains Konstantina.

“I want to thank and emphasize the importance of the existence of EKAV” she said, while she shocked with her message saying that “if EKAV didn’t exist, I wouldn’t exist, I wouldn’t be here right now and I wouldn’t make the video” . In closing, he thanked EKAB and the staff for the immediate and life-saving intervention. “If someone asked me, ‘Konstantina, what is ECAV for you?’ I would say ‘a second chance at life'”.