According to Brittany Hilmeyer, Joseph Ricciardella’s ex-girlfriend, he dropped off their 4-year-old daughter at an overnight stay in New York on Sunday before heading home to Torrington, Connecticut (some 25 miles west of Hartford.)
At around 7:10 p.m., he called her to tell her that he had just been bitten by a rattlesnake and was heading to the hospital.
Ricciardella stopped his car after spotting a snake in the middle of the road. This is something he has been known to do in the past—taking great care that animals stay out of danger from passing cars. The timber rattlesnake, which is uncommon in the Northeast, bit him as he draped a shirt over it and attempted to pick it up.
According to relatives, Joseph Ricciardella is the proud owner of his own landscaping company. When asked about his childhood, Robert Ricciardella revealed he and his brother caught snakes frequently. A wounded bat that had found its way into Joseph Ricciardella’s residence was allowed to stay there until it healed, illustrating his love for animals.
Since he hasn’t been able to communicate fully with loved ones just yet, nobody knows for sure where the bite took place.
A 45-year-old father of four, Ricciardella was airlifted from a hospital in Torrington to one in Hartford after suffering a heart attack. He was put in an induced coma.
He is self-employed as a landscaper and does not have health insurance, according to Hilmeyer. She stated that doctors pulled him out of the coma on Tuesday but that due to swelling caused by the venom, he remained sedated and intubated.
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The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection reports that the timber rattlesnake is one of two poisonous snakes found in the state, along with the northern copperhead. It is worth noting that this particular snake is exceedingly uncommon. It is against the law to kill or collect the snake since it is considered endangered. The state’s officials also noted that rattlesnake bites are exceedingly rare.
To help cover Joseph Ricciardella’s medical expenses, his family established a GoFundMe campaign, which has received almost $5,000 in donations.