Survivor 49 contestant evacuated after dry sea krait bite

On Day 6 of Survivor Season 49, contestant Jake Latimer was medically evacuated after a black-and-white banded sea krait bit his foot while he was standing in shallow water near his tribe camp in Fiji. The Oct. 8 episode showed production staff putting Latimer on a boat and transporting him to the show’s base camp medical center, where doctors determined the bite was a dry bite and no venom had been injected. Still, the medical team concluded he could not be returned to the field and removed him from the game.

Probst told the cast and viewers that the response was immediate and that Latimer’s physical and emotional condition factored into the decision. “There is no way, Jake, even in the next 48 hours, we could put you back out into such an unforgiving situation as Survivor,” he said on camera, citing agreement from medical staff. Production footage captured frantic medical activity as Latimer arrived at base camp; crew members were heard asking whether he was breathing while paramedics and doctors worked to stabilize him.

Latimer, 36, who was expecting his first child while competing, described the moment as terrifying. He said he felt something like a crab claw on the bottom...