Authorities hailed a South African pilot who made an emergency landing after a deadly snake crept into his seat on Friday for “displaying impeccable bravery.”
Rudolf Erasmus was flying a tiny private plane from Bloemfontein to Pretoria with four passengers earlier this week when he felt a huge Cape Cobra snake move over his back.
Despite the high pressure, he landed the jet safely in Welkom, a city roughly halfway along the route.
“I wish to congratulate Rudolf for the courageous steps taken and for how he handled what could have been a major aviation incident,” said South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) director Poppy Khoza.
“He remained calm in the face of a dangerous situation and managed to land the aircraft safely without any harm to him or the passengers on board, displaying to the world that he is an aviation safety ambassador of the highest order.”
Erasmus told local media he became aware of the snake mid-flight after feeling something cold pressing against his back.
“At first I thought it was my water bottle… but then I realised it was something else and (so I) didn’t move,” he told the News24 outlet. The incident happened on Monday.
Cape cobras are found mainly in southwestern South Africa and have a potentially deadly neurotoxic venom that requires immediate treatment with an anti-venom.
