Horrified daycare workers realized what they initially mistook as a splinter on a 4-year-old was actually a bite from a venomous and deadly snake. The startling incident happened in North Carolina.
The family initially mistook an injury for a splinter. The 4-year-old was playing near a sandbox while at the New Beginnings Child Enrichment Center in Stony Point. The toddler's hand began to swell, so they reached out to the boy's guardians about what to do. However, according to WSOCTV9, it was actually a venomous snake bite.
The guardian came to the daycare thinking the child broke their arm, only to discover the truth. The boy's aunt says that daycare workers didn't call 911.
"The director got up and said he got snakebit. My first thought was, why didn't they call 911?" the boy's aunt, Brook Cooper, told WSOCTV9. "My second thing was like, do the other parents even know?"
Venomous Snake Bite
Tiffany Robinson, who is an owner and co-director at New Beginnings Child Enrichment Center, shared a statement on Facebook about what happened.
"During outdoor play on Thursday, the children were playing with the mulch on the playground when one child picked up a snake out of curiosity," Robinson said. "The snake bit the child, but the child continued to play at first. Staff noticed the child shaking their hand and checked on the hand, believing it might have been a splinter from the mulch. Because our mulch is rubber, this seemed unusual, and out of caution, the guardian was called immediately."
"The conversation began with the belief it was a splinter, and the guardian was asked if she wanted the co-director to attempt to remove it," Robinson continued. "She agreed. Upon further examination, however, it became clear that it was not a splinter but a snake bite. The guardian was called back right away, informed of the situation, and asked to come pick up her child immediately."
