The crews at Fire Station 43 in Coral Springs are used to all types of emergencies, but nothing quite like what happened Saturday night.
“Our driver told us there’s a snake in the car!” said Justin Ehlin, a firefighter/paramedic of three years.
Two women in a Hyundai hatchback told the crew that their pet ball python, named Ritchie, had slithered into a compartment underneath the console and would not come out. The one-year-old ivory banana ball python was trapped for 8 hours, according to its owner, Camryn Drew.
Drew said she and a friend had just bought pet food and were back in the car traveling when Ritchie found an opening underneath and made his way into the compartment. “We tried, but we couldn’t get him out,” she said. They even bought tools to try to take the seat out and free Ritchie, but to no avail. That’s when someone suggested trying the fire department.
Once on the scene, the group of firefighters got to work, taking out panels and a seat to get to Ritchie. It took nearly an hour. Battalion Chief Jon Robbins recorded the rescue. “I am deathly afraid of snakes, so I supervised and took video,” he said.
After reaching the python, it was pulled to safety. Ehlin called it a once-in-a-career procedure. “It was curled up. I thought it would bite, but it was friendly,” he said.
Drew is grateful the firefighters saved the day, calling Richie a constant companion. “He goes with the flow. He’ll cling to you and hang out,” she said.
That’s why ball pythons are such popular pets, according to Robin Reccasina, executive director of The Sawgrass Nature Center in Coral Springs. “They don’t get big. They curl up like a ball,” she said.
Unlike the invasive Burmese pythons found in the Everglades, the ball pythons are docile and low-maintenance. Drew says she will still take Ritchie out in a car but will keep him contained next time.
