While customers cringed, a man in Polk County took action and pulled a 3-foot-plus snake out of a gas pump.
Brandon Radke covered his hands with a flannel shirt and forced the rat snake out of hiding, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The incident happened recently at a Shell gas station on Highway 238 in Cedartown.
A man getting gas at pump No. 4 said his 17-year-old son saw the snake creeping around where the pump handle rests. That’s when Radke came over, Channel 2 reported.
Radke told the news station Monday that he loves snakes and knew not to be afraid.
“Once you grab behind the head, it can't really reach around and get you,” Radke said.
He had to work for a bit to wrangle the reptile from the pump, but finally got it out.
Other customers told Channel 2 they would never have been able to do what Radke did.
“This old man would have a heart attack,” Pete Gault said.
Wildlife experts said a warm winter and continued warm weather is contributing to the increase in snakes.
Customer David Witt told Channel 2 he recently ran over a large snake on the road, but he never expected to hear about one in a gas pump.
He offered kudos to Radke.
“He's a better man than I am,” Witt said.
Radke said he took the snake out back in the woods and released it.
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