Hiker bitten by venomous snake in Albania helped by dad on phone after emergency services 'hung up' on her

Hiker bitten by venomous snake in Albania helped by dad on phone after emergency services 'hung up' on her Amy Lecons was bitten by a European nose-horned viper and called her doctor dad who assisted her in alerting emergency services to help get her to a nearby hospital A tourist bitten by a venomous snake while hiking in Albania was helped by her dad who was thousands of miles away via WhatsApp after emergency services "hung up" on her. Amy Lecons, from Australia, was bitten by a European nose-horned viper during the 90-minute trail run on June 21 and went viral on social media after documenting her experience. She had arrived in Valbonë just three days before the incident on the trail. She previously came across snakes during a visit to Greece as well as in her native Australia. But her guard dropped and she was bitten by the country's most venomous snake. "Usually I would take a mini first aid kit, but for whatever reason, I didn’t have these on me on this day," she told the Truth Times. "I was...coming down and around a corner when I was bitten by a snake. I instantly knew that I had been bitten by a snake as I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles." Amy recorded a video of the snake in order to identify it and she then attempted to call emergency services. But the call reportedly "lasted less than one minute" before she claimed the responder hung up her as they did not understand English. While feeling "helpless" Amy used WhatsApp to contact her dad Robert Lecons, a doctor in Australia. He went on to tell her how to lower her heart rate, share her exact location on What3Words app before contacting local emergency services. He also alerted the owner of Traveler Hostel in Shkodër. "I didn’t realise until weeks later that it was him who was responsible for getting Valbonë Summer Clinic in contact with me as Australian emergency services were also getting through to Interpol around the same time," she added. Amy filmed a TikTok as she waited to be rescued and later could be heard shouting for help. An ambulance was sent to her location and arrived about an hour later due to her being in a remote location. She arrived at a hospital in Bajram Curri after another hour. After spending two days in a hospital, she went on to thank first responders and nurses for their quick response. Despite being unable to speak the language, she said their care was "the epitome of Albanian hospitality." "Upon reflection, I have realised that I should be better prepared with a satellite communication device," Amy said. "In New Zealand, we are taught that this can mean life or death, and I was ignorant to think this wasn’t necessary on the trails in Europe as well."