Holidaymaker bitten by viper at yoga session

A woman has said she was left in intensive care after a venomous snake bit her as she marked her 40th birthday on holiday in Cyprus.

Sam West, from Shifnal in Shropshire, was about to take part in a meditation session on 3 April when she was bitten on the leg by a blunt nosed viper.

She has since relied on a wheelchair to get around after being discharged from hospital last Monday.

Tour operator TUI said it was liaising "directly with the guest to provide our full support".

Ms West, who is on holiday with her wife Kate, said she was waiting to hear from her insurance company about when she would return home, but was not expected to be fit to fly until Tuesday.

She said the 1.5m-long viper bit her just as she was about to step on to the meditation platform at the Atlantica Aphrodite Hills hotel.

"It quickly, before I had time to react, bit me just above my left ankle," she said.

"I started to shake the snake off as I shouted that I had just been bitten by a snake.

"My leg was burning and throbbing, the pain was instantaneous."

TUI staff and others came over to help and she was transported to A&E, where a doctor told her she needed anti-venom.

After four days in intensive care and one on another ward, Ms West was discharged to the hotel with medication and said she was paying €310 a night for a room with disabled-access.

She said the hotel had some of the area around the meditation platform cut back soon after the incident and had called pest control teams out twice.

"The activities that take place on the platform have now been moved to the dance studio," she said.

"However, hotel guests are continuing to use the platform and explore the area around."

Ms West said she had received about 350 messages of support, adding TUI representatives in the resort had also been very supportive.

A TUI UK & Ireland spokesperson said it was "aware of an incident" at the hotel earlier this month adding the "safety of our customers is our highest priority".

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