A witness told a journalist at the Orlando Sentinel they reported a sighting of an alligator to police prior to the attack on the toddler, but Sheriff Demings said he was unaware of the report. Everyone sold them to the Serpentarium for $1.25/Ft, good money in those days. Haast extracted venom 70 to 100 times a day from some 60 species of venomous snakes, usually in front of an audience of paying customers. Now 39, he is a member of the rescue department's anti-venin unit that rushes to inject those bitten by a poisonous snake. Mr. Haast fished it out with a long pole after the big croc took a bite of it. When she got in the car she said she had a suprise for me. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. There were two fatal alligator attacks in Florida last year in the first reported deaths since 2007. it stirred interest faster than the key lime pie and local jelly signs. In 1946 Haast decided he had enough money saved to start his snake farm. At the time I envisioned growing up and working for Bill, learning to snatch & milk snakes. Bowker had hooked. One day I noticed his handshis fingersthey were deformend, mangled, sort of like a something from an old horror moviea result--one of many, of having been bitten by so many venomous snakesI think his own blood was an anti-venom, as a result of being bitten so much, I think he used to distribute this "antivenom (his blood)worldwide to snakebite vicims. Haast's passing reminded South Floridians of a certain age of the bygone era when entrepreneurs could set up quirky roadside attractions along Dixie Highway, US 1, to thrill both local school kids and wintering vacationers who fled the cold. But none the less just because Mr. Hass felt bad about what happened he, Haas, shot the alligator for no reason. Glad to see many others share great memories of the Serpentarium. His dream of creating a snake sanctuary grew nearer. As a young teenager in the mid 1960's I was very interested in all types of reptiles. The attack happened on Friday, Dec. 11 during the afternoon in Borneo, Malaysia. ``Funny, the very place I wanted to get away from, I now miss. It was 2006 and he was still extolling the virtues of venom, saying he injected himself weekly with a cocktail from five snakes cobras, cottonmouths, kraits, mambas and rattlers homeopathy the Food and Drug Administration would never endorse. According to eyewitnesses, the toddlers mother, Ms Graves, was playing with him at the time and also dived into the water. We watched the show (I don't remember if the presenter was Mr. Haast), and afterwards, Scot was encouraged to touch several snakes. Haast finally sold the 5.2-acre lot, now in Pinecrest, for $3.2 million and headed to Utah for more snake research. They moved to Florida so that Haast could pursue his dream of opening a "snake farm". Anyone can read what you share. I recall going with my brother to the airport to pick her up upon her arrival. As a result of handling these snakes, Haast had been bitten 172 times by mid-2008,[4] all of which but the last few were validated by the Guinness Book of World Records "for surviving the most deadly snake bites", a distinction Haast disliked as he did not think being bitten was a goal to be attained or admired.[5]. ", Twitter accolades came in from across the globe. Mr. Hasst brought out a huge 16 foot long King Cobra and kept it controlled on the lawn in front of us. Anyone can read what you share. A crocodile seized a 5-year-old boy and dragged him into a river in western Mexico as his parents watched, according to authorities who said the child's body was found Thursday. I've tried to keep up with him from time to time. There were others I recall, Monkey Jungle, Parrot Jungle, but none had the that eye catching element of suspense like The Serpentarium. On the 2nd trip, an entire day was planned for me there. In 1977, a 6-year-old fell into a reptile pit at the Serpentarium and was killed by an 1,800-pound crocodile named Cookie. There were eyewitnesses here who certainly saw the child taken under the water, Sheriff Demings said. CAKEGATE 2023: Bad Bunny's Restaurant Accused of Gobbling Birthday Girl's Cake, Death Train: A Timeline of Brightline Fatalities in South Florida UPDATED, Neighborhood Nazi Jon Minadeo Peddles Hate by the Minute, Sen. Rubio's Permanent Daylight Savings Bill Sees Light of Day Once More, NFL Legend Ray Lewis Joins World Jai-Alai League Board of Directors, Affordable New "Micro-Units" Slated for Little River, Edgewater. National television shows hosted by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and Johnny Carson invited him or featured him during visits to Miami. Nonetheless, the boy, who was battered and submerged, was killed. Today, out of print, it's coveted by collectors and sells on eBay for more than $100, a testament to Haast's popularity. People were lining up for a show. flashbackmiami.com/2013/11/26/serpentarium-2/, Mozilla/5.0 (iPad; CPU OS 15_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) GSA/219.0.457350353 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1. This is greatl so good to know that Doc is still alive and doing at least some of what he loves best. I was 16 yrs.old and going outside at night with no shoes on and stepped on the snake in the dark. I still miss the animals. Eventually Bill charmed that snake and on one of its downstrikes quicker than the snake could react Bill had it behind the head and then as a finale milked a big load of venom. Cloud, Florida and it just so happens that my dad lives there now. We had an iguana that was too large to keep. My uncle introduced me to the Florida Eastern Diamondback that grew up to 6 feet in length. A small alligator, maybe 5 foot with tail had gotten loose and was wandering. HaastHe paid 0.25 for poisonus and 0.15 for no poisonessHe was a great man and saved thousands of lives with his snake anti-venomBitten numerous time and the only man to sruvive the bite of a Mamba, he insisted on being awake, so he could descirbe the symtoms of the snake bite,He descibed the bite as haluciations and dream world full of vibrant colors. There's a picture of me and an indigo snake, probably nearly as long as I was tall. Behind him rose an 8-foot concrete cobra statue that once decorated the serpentarium. Bill Haast and a cobra at the Miami Serpentarium SW 128th Street and South Dixie Highway, Dade County, Florida Thank you to Alvin Lederer for contributing this old image. It took a group of people to get . Haast still grows somber when retelling the story: It was a Sunday. While on my honeymmon in Orlando we rode down to Miami to the Serpentarium and watched Bill milk some snakes. I said yes, I got to feed his snakes white mice, met his daughter (she had a pet lion), used to catch snakes and sell them to Mr. I am transferring my old pictures to new albums and came across our photos at The Serpentarium in 1973 when we were there with our family while on vacatin. The snake had disappeared, but I estimate that the snake, which had at least a one foot girth, was 14 feet or more. My dad and I still talk about this over 40 years later! After Bill sold the Serpentarium, our 12,000 sq.ft. Smocks. Just heard the mother grieving her baby. May he live far past the hundreds. ", By his 95th birthday, he was a bit of a recluse. ''I would hide them in my tool box,'' he said. Donated several snakes over the years also, mostly coral snakes from Opa Locka area. "One hypothesis is that the animal took the child to the burrow or cave, and there are burrows and caves, but we don't know which one of them it is. ``If I live to be 100 I'll really make the point.'' It was not that far from us and yet we were not fearful. I was fascinated watching them put Mr Haast's feeding tube down and feed the snake. 2, my first Indigo. "He's like an icon to people that know him," Cruz said. C.C. "My So-Called Life", pg. I grew up near the Serpentarium , and played baseball @ Suniland Park..Many times during games , an iguana that had escaped from the serpentarium , would run across the field..As kids , we too ,sold snakes to the facility , and we managed to see the show several times a yearwe would ride our bikes to Parrot Jungle and the Serpentarium and see all kinds of rare wild animals and snakes , and birds , then fish salt or fresh water within a few miles of homegreat place to grow up in the 60's. The guy that answered the phone was very calm, and told me to just leave it alone and that it would probably just be on it's way. We used to hunt non-poisonous snakes in the Glades, Homestead farmlands: king snakes, red ratsnakes, yellow ratsnakes, indigos, black racers, etc., and take them down to mr Haas and he had a yardstick on the table and would measure them by the foot, pay us maybe .25cents/foot for the ratsnake, .35/foot for the kingsnakes, etc. I got excited thinking it was a new toy. The event left Haast shaken and the next day, he shot the 1800-pound crocodile nine times. ''I could become a poster boy for the benefits of venom,'' Haast jokes. I helped the staff along with about 6-8 other visitors in straightening out the snake (as much as he would let us), to be measured. Cloud, a venom business where the public can pay to watch workers extract venom from snakes. Ricky Ganya was last seen collecting snails on a riverbank in Kuching, Malaysia, While there, he ended up rooming with a moonshiner on the edge of the Everglades, and became proficient at capturing all kinds of snakes. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. This tornado also picked up a dredge crane, working on one of the drainage canals, and placed it across the canal without any significant damage. Haast added a snake exhibit to the business. Bill Haast (December 30, 1910 June 15, 2011[1]) was the owner and operator, from 1947 until 1984, of the Miami Serpentarium, a tourist attraction south of Miami, Florida, where he extracted venom from snakes in front of paying customers. My brother was always over there buying, trading snakes. "Miami was in Bill's heart to the end," his widow said. Today, a McDonald's and a shopping center sit where the Serpentarium once thrilled. Quite a memory! BILL PUT ON HIS MILKING SHOW WHEN A SNAKE IN BILL'S HAND WIGGLED AROUND AND SPRAYED A WHITE LIQUID FROM THE REAR OF THE SNAKE INTO THE CROWD AND ACROSS THIS WOMEN'S LEGS IN FRONT OF US. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Unfortunately, in 1977 a six-year-old boy fell into the crocodile pit at Miami Serpentarium and was killed by "Cookie", a 12-ft-long crocodile. We also used to go to his show at the Serpentarium, and it fascinated my brother. I still have his autograph and some great snapshots of that meet & greet. Although Haast did not have antivenin for that snake, he knew a collector who did and who provided the 15 vials of antivenin that saved the victim's life. We got a motel room across the road from the Serpentarium. Horses had developed resistance to the poisons through the same process, and the blood of those horses was used to create life-saving antivenin. That might have occurred, since some recent field guides I have examined do not include haasti. Bill's dedication to helping science, medicine, and snakebite victims was always unwavering. Haast saw that a boy had fallen into the crocodile pit. Read More on The US Sun. I remeber in 1970 when I went to JFK junior high in miami we went on a field trip to the serpentarium I am now 50 years old and never forgot the place.I did make a serious mistake while there that people I tell find hard to believe.there was this hudge round pit with a wall around it, in it was what looked to me like a large stone grey statue of a crcodile well I went in there touched it and one eye opened and I was out of that pit like a rocket.this crocodile was at least 15 feet long it must have been sleeping lucky for me.Bill left a lifetime of memories for a 13 yearold kid the man truely is a legend that has no equal in the reptile world. When he had enough, he opened the Serpentarium in Miami in 1946. REMAINS of a fourteen-year-old boy have been pulled from inside a crocodile's belly after he was eaten alive. on. Flores said it has been very difficult for the family, adding: 'It is impossible to continue living in Matina because in every corner of the house we find something that reminds us of Julito, that causes us a lot of pain. They considered him a glorified snake-handler, a showman, a medicine man. To this day it is one of our most treasured possesions. Soon after opening the Serpentarium, Haast began experimenting with building up an acquired immunity to the venom of King, Indian and Cape cobras by injecting himself with gradually increasing quantities of venom he had extracted from his snakes, a practice called mithridatism. Small world. When our son was very small, he was afraid of snakes. God bless Mr. Haas, and all the good he has done, on top of the lives he has saved through his bravery and research. Keep it up Mr. Haast. The attraction had a gift shop, 400-pound turtles, a 20-foot-long python. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, population growth and increasing participation in water-related activities are resulting in more frequent alligator-human interactions. THE BAND FROM SOUTH MIAMI HIGH RODE WITH THE COBRA TO THE SCHOOL ON A FLAT BED TRUCK WITH THE BAND HAPPILY PLAYING AND BEATING THEIR DRUMS--SUDDENLY--SEVERAL CARS AHEAD OF ME THE SNAKE --WHICH WAS PLANTED STRAIGHT UP--SUDDENLY FELL APART ON THE TRUCK --JUST SORT OF DISENTAGRATED --AND THE BOTTOM WAS RUINED--BUT A SMALL PART INCLUDING THE HEAD REMAINED-AND APPEARED UNDAMAGED---AND I PRESUME--MADE IT SAFELY TO THE SCHOOL--J. MUDD. For years, Haast tried to prove that venom could treat multiple sclerosis, lupus, arthritis and Parkinson's disease. RIP kind soul. When I was young I was always interested in snakes. I will forever carry fond memories of "Doc" and how he turned my life around. I live in Sarasota now and totally enjoy the water, I think those times are responceable. I'm surprised to hear the stories about the cobra being damaged enroute to SMSH. Although the boy's father did not blame Haast for his son's death, Haast told reporters he wanted nothing else to do with the Serpentarium and, in any event, would never again house crocodiles there. Devastated villages shouted the name 'Dimas' in hope of the boy still being alive as the crocodile was hauled ashore. But I remember leaning over the small wall to look closer at that croc when my feet slipped and I pitched forward towards the pit. Not to mention, people do not operate properly during tragic events. Thank you for reminding me about this incredible man. A 6-year-old boy fell into a crocodile pit and was killed. My interest of reptiles was clearly fromed by Dr. Hasst and I have passed on some of it to my kids who now have a Bearded Dragon Dr. Hasst is a true legend.. I then got a "thank you". The cheerleaders and marching band of South Miami High, home of the Cobras, screamed and pounded their feet. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. For some in Miami, though, the whole debate has stirred up painful memories of another tragic incident. When he was 19 he joined a man who had a roadside snake exhibit, and went with him to Florida. My heart is shattered. We looked out and could see both Bill and Nancy peeking out from their office with a big grin! haasti is different from the parent species only by virtue of an unusual configuration of white coloration on the head and chin. When I was a child in the 1950's, Mama made us stay in the house. The show was great. During its heyday, it attracted about 50,000 Florida visitors a year. I don't remember how long he was but I DO remember how strong he was. Police confirmed that human remains found in a saltwater crocodile caught nearby were those of the boy. They had the best house! But I still think he should not have shot that alligator. I remember one time that one got the better of him and bit him in the neck. I was inspired by him because as kids we used to go all through the Evergaldes looking for snakes to catch. I don't remember which one was the infamous "Cookie". He introduced himself as Col. Spencer, I introduced myself as "I'm Mark and could my brother Dick come too?" I graduated from there in 1979. Haast went to the pit with a pistol the very next day and shot the croc. One time, he bought a black snake from Mr. Haast, named it "Rodney" and promptly wrapped it around my neck when my mom wasn't looking. I hope you live to 100 to prove snake venon is an anti aging wonder. THAT WAS THE MOST MEMORIBLE PART OF THAT VACATION. He gathered 400 cobras and took his findings to a University of Miami researcher. Looking back I'm glad it was in the dark because I never saw the snake Approximately an hour later my foot started aching and my parents looked all over my legs and feet for a bite mark. "My other children act strong, but one realises that they are sad. We would eat the snakes, along with all the fish and snapping turtles we could catch from the Lakeland area lakes. local news and culture. I cant imagine what those parents are going through. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Knowing me from my letters, he seemed genuinely interested in the details I told him about my own small collection. Boy, 8, mauled to death by crocodile in front of horrified parents after being dragged underwater as he played. Whenever we remember what happened, it is impossible not to shed tears.". He soon learned how to handle the snakes and found one timber rattler so easy to handle that he posed for a photograph with the snake lying across his lap. In the summer of 1972 I was bitten by a pygmy rattle snake in the middle of a subdivision in south Miami. An eight-year-old boy was dragged underwater and mauled to death by a crocodile in front of his horrified parents while paddling in shallow water in a river near his home in Costa Rica. And I still do as if it happened yesterday. Inside, the snake shows were pure drama with no frills, no fanfare, no drum roll, no silence please, no ladies and gentleman. Palm vipers. But at the Serpentarium, there was a monster 14 foot rattlesnake from upper Florida, probably from around the Gainesville area. An eight-year-old boy was mauled to death by a crocodile just metres from his family home in Malaysia. Shame on Hass and the parents this poor animal was slaughtered. So, on a trip to visit my parents in Miami, when Scot was two (1977), we took him to the Miami Serpentarium. We visited the Serpentarium and it was an amazing experience that I remember vividly to this day. Haast still grows somber when retelling the story: It was a Sunday. Great memories. "If I live to be 100, I'll really make the point. Turns out that I was talking to Bill Hast. I well remember Bill Haast and his snake "milking" shows. Thank you for the bio of this incredible man. boy killed by crocodile at miami serpentarium. We watched Mr. Haast with fascination as he milked the snakes. The last snake I had was a 12' burmese python that I owned a few years ago. He was carrying a snake-bite kit, and had a friend inject him with antivenom; the bite hospitalized him for a week. I would vacation with my parents in Florida in the summer months. All times AEDT (GMT +11). But the reptile managed to crawl away into a moat in the 50foot square pit, dragging the child with him. Furthermore, you shouldn't speak about how a parent should have kept a better eye on their dead son. At the same time his work saved dozens of lives. ''I hit him over the head, trying to get him to let go.'' Now the spotlight is on three other deaths that are linked to the case. Now if I can find out more about The Colonel? I called Haast to see what he could tell me about it. I would take the rattlesnake skins and rub salt into them to try to preserve them. At 19, he got a job with a roadside snake attraction. boy killed by crocodile at miami serpentarium His next bite, later the same year, came from a four-foot copperhead. Besides the mayor's key, they gave him a firefighter's helmet bearing the unit's name: Venom 1. I recall the incident where the child died -- it was very tragic and Mr. Haast clearly felt terrible about it. It took a group of people to get . I was probably the first Bill Haast copycat and started self-immunizing with various snake venoms over here in London since the age of twenty. I visited the Serpentarium in1969 as an 18-year-old on spring break with a buddy. ``I feel like a man in his 60s.'' I could see their fears fade as they got the nerve to touch a real snake and realize that is wasn't slimy. A krait anti-venom was shipped from India, but when it arrived after a 48-hour flight, he refused to accept it. He had so much venom in him that we were told even a bee sting could kill him. Eventually, his collection became one of the most diverse venomous snakes on the planet. "He was a really nice man with a big heart," said his grand-niece Michelle Haast of Miami. 12-foot crocodile . Haast killed the croc the next day. Haast's mental trauma over the boy's death eventually led to the closure of the Serpentarium on South Dixie Highway. Shaman Killed by Crocodile Horror Stories 812K subscribers Subscribe 27K Save 741K views 3 years ago Notice Age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines) Almost yours: 2 weeks, on us. Res It's a shame that everything is gone now. The injections are a routine he began in 1948 -- the year he opened the Serpentarium -- and continued after he closed it in 1984. There was something unique and special about living old Miami, Its individuals like Bill and The Serpentarium that paved Miami's history in a way like no other place in the world. Grainy WTVJ footage from 1962, now part of the Wolfson Archive, shows a fit, toothy 51-year-old Haast in a hospital recovering from his 79th snake bite his first ever by a King Cobra. He respected him very much. Oh my gosh..I worked on Bill and Nancy's house in P.G 15-20 years agomold issueshumidity problems..put an air exchanger in their snake area to control odorbut had strict guidelines to maintain high humidity. I'm sure they still carry around enough guilt, even after all this time, without you adding to it.