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Subscribe to RSSTwo stranded and disoriented python hunters were rescued by a helicopter Thursday in the Everglades of northern Broward County, Fla., authorities said.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Regional Everglades units responded just before 4 p.m. ET to a call about the snake hunters stranded about 15 miles west of U.S. 27 on the northern border of the county, spokesman Mike Jachles said in a statement.
Those units and Broward Sheriff's Office Air Rescue began searching, and about half an hour later the two men were spotted about two miles north of the L-5 Levee and 15 miles west of U.S. 27.
The helicopter landed in the Everglades and brought the wayward python hunters, ages 22 and 25, to the waiting rescue units about two miles away. The victims complained of light-headedness and weakness, and were suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration, Jachles said.
Firefighter-paramedics treated both patients on the scene, and they refused to be taken to a hospital, he said.
The two men, from Tennessee, were in the Sunshine State to hunt pythons, Jachles said. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is currently holding its inaugural Python Challenge, which wraps up this weekend.
It's believed the hunters were staying in their car in the Everglades while they searched for the snakes, Jachles said.
By NBCMiami.com
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Well I guess I lost my bet. I was positive that there would be well more than 2 of the fools that entered this "contest" needing to be rescued at the taxpayers expense. I can't believe that the government thought that it would be a good idea to have a contest that would bring fools who are not familiar with the Everglades, reptiles, or personal safety by the hundreds with guns, knives, and other weapons to kill these animals. The state needs to find a better way and it is going to cost money to do it right and humanely.
But ponygirl .... this way we get rid of the snakes and idiots at the same time ... what could be better than that ?
They should leave the disoriented pythons alone. Next, these cheaters will be trying to compete against the blind.
Redneck python hunters. I wouldn't want to run into the pythons OR the hunters.
Now JK, you're jumping to conclusions there. Tennessee has both rednecks and hillbillies in their state so without a city to locate the area it could be either.
Hillbillies would take the snakes to church while the rednecks have a recipe for them.
We actually released these pythons on purpose, as they are very good at getting rid of stupid, hillbilly/redneck hunting tourists that don't belong in the Everglades anymore than the pythons! Pretty soon these snakes will be trolling the beaches looking for tasty tourists lying in the sun! But keep feeding them the story about little Joey's pet snake getting loose, cause it keeps em off guard. "Hey y'all, come on down here, cause these snakes are everywhere"! He He He
There are about 100,000 to 200,000 pythons in the Everglades and what has this hunt accomplished.
Last tally I saw was 13. Yep, count 'em, 13 pythons caught.
We are never going to "hunt" the pythons out of the Everglades.
We are going to have to bait and trap them out. And it's going to be a massive and costly effort.
These huge snakes are devouring all the natural wildlife in the Everglades.
.
gm cheetah,
If the pythons were disoriented, how would they know they were stranded? Or even that the inning was over?
I would not be afraid of the snakes unless you run across a bad one and there are plenty of bad ones here in Florida. I would not be too thrilled either about the gators either and spiders, but other than that...lol. This does not surprise me that someone would get lost. It happens in mountains when people go hiking all the time.
ponygirl...I have a love for animals too and I am a female. The snakes have taken out all the deer, raccoons, everything in the glades, so I say kill em.
I think you are missing Ponygirl's point. The Everglades isn't exactly Disney World. There's a lot of badass wildlife including but not limited to alligators, snakes (poisonous ones as well as Pythons), Florida Black Bears, bugs, etc. in addition to the heat. Sending a bunch of novices out there to kill the snakes is a recipe for trouble.
Venomous snakes. There is no such thing as a "poisonous" snake.
I'd suggest you never join the python hunt Toots.
A sub adult or full grown Burmese python is not something easily handled by a novice hunter. It is only a matter of time before one of these hunter are hunted by the snakes themselves.
The whole event gives me flash backs to the scene from "Jaws" where all the red necks are jumping in boats to go out and catch the man eating "shaak". Same cast of characters, different venue.
yeah "toots", Bobster knows all about poisonous snakes as he is one
Pythons do not belong to Everglades. They have no natural enemies to restrict their explosion as in tropical forests where many of their young ones are eaten by their predators before they become the hunter.
I am sure there may be hundreds of thousand pythons in Everglades. They would exhaust all other natural inhabitants of Everglades. That is why one should never introduce an alien species into another habitat. Look the rabbit menace in Australia. Even the dingys are not natural to Australian outback.
Human beings are worst polluters and cause of many animals and fish and birds become extinct.
Having said that, on a lighter vein, why don't we employ the snake charmers of India? May be they would do good job?!!
The rabbits were brought under check using mixamatosis, and dingoes have been in the Australian outback for about 4,000 to 4,500 they were intoduced by Thai traders who traded with the Aborigines, Good idea about the snake charmers, also someone mentioned a PLB, well they are only good after one is lost, the idea is to not get lost, a simple course in navigation using sun sights etc would help, reliance on a GPS is good however that would require some intelligence, (which button to push and what does it do) and you are correct, we have become a scourge on our planet.
Methinks this may be another case of "Hey, y'all! Watch this!!!" Maybe these real nice fellers from Tennessee should stick to noodling for their catfish... lol
On a serious note, the pythons are not indigenous to Florida. They either were let go when they grew too large to be pets any longer, or they escaped. They are wreaking havoc on the natural wildlife (that which SHOULD be there). Many have grown to over 20 feet, and still growing.
They MUST be eradicated, because there are NO predators to keep them in check. (If there were, we wouldn't be having this problem.)
It won't be long before they outgrow the Everglades, and they end up eating pets and children. This is not a crazy idea. The large ones EASILY eat the Florida whitetail deer. The deer are larger than cats and dogs and CHILDREN. Also, they are constrictors, which means that they can kill by suffocation. Or if lucky and rescued in time, only a few crushed ribs.
I am an animal lover, but this is a necessary kill.
The Glades are an easy place to get lost. Happened to me many times when I used to hunt there in the 70's.
It's also a beautiful place but can easily bring you down if you are not prepared for it.
Wussies!!
For less than $300 you can buy a Personal Locator Beacon. That should be mandatory equipment for anyone going on this hunt.
...
Where is PETA is this tragedy ??
These pythons just are not glamorous enough for this group.
...
PETA just went after the outfit worn by Beyonce' at the halftime show because it had python skin accents. Maybe these guys were trying to capture a python so Shania Twain can make a comback in style.
The main reason that there are so many pythons in the everglades has nothing to do with people turning their pets loose. Hurricane Andrew destroyed multiple snake farms and set loose thousands of snakes that were not raised in captivity so they were able to survive and thrive on the perfect ecosystem.
God Bless these young men killing these menace to the environment.
Hopefully next time they will go in with a GPS, map and compass.
I have hunted tje Glades and it is no place for somebody who is a novice.But they need to get rid of the snakes somehow.
This should not surprise anyone, it was never "if" but "when". This is the Everglades for crying out loud.
Ridding the world of idiots, one python hunting contest at a time.
So what makes these two guys "Python Hunters"? They're real pros, ha? Morons more like.
I hope they are the laughing stock of their towns. Oh, thats right, they're from tennesee. Is that the best you got over there in good ole Tennesee?
Leader of the Knights Who Say Ni! We shall say "Ni!" again to you, if you do not appease us.
King Arthur Well what is it you want?
Leader We want... a shrubbery! {jangling music}
King Arthur A what?
Knights Who Say Ni! Ni! Ni!
King Arthur Please! Please, no more. We shall find you a shrubbery.
Leader You must return here with a shrubbery. Or else you will never pass through this wood... alive.
King Arthur Oh Knights of Ni, you are just and fair. And we will return with a shrubbery.
Leader One that looks nice.
King Arthur Of course.
Leader And not too expensive.
King Arthur Yes.
Leader Now.... go!
What? Oh, sorry, thought the story was about MONTY Python. Never mind.
Pythons make great sleeping bags.
I apologize for calling you a pinhead. Where did you get your data on Australia? Was it High Times magazine or Bloomy Bloomberg?
Well, the fact that the two hunters were from Tennessee explains a lot. No GPS, nothing to drink, no food, ran out of beer and got lost. I wonder if they even saw any snakes.
Don't Ya love a story with a happy endin ?So much for the Tennessee snake hunters.Not used to the heat,boys ?