Survivor’s Jeff Probst Details Contestant’s Poisonous Snake Bite

Survivor always has to deal with snakes in the grass.

During season 49 of the show, the “snake” wasn’t a deceitful player, but an actual sea krait—a poisonous snake—that bit contestant Jake Latimer while he was standing in the shallow ocean. This required him to receive medical attention and be removed from the competition on the October 8th episode.

For longtime host Jeff Probst, it was a reminder of how real the game of Survivor really is.

In situations involving serious injuries, like a snake bite, our medical team steps in right away,” he explained to *The Hollywood Reporter* in a recent interview. “The player doesn’t get a say in those instances. Protecting the players and ensuring the game continues safely are our top priorities. With this incident, we immediately called for medical help, and the response was very quick.

The 63-year-old described the frightening moment when medical personnel checked if Jake was breathing after he was brought to shore by boat.

Jeff said they lost contact with Jake’s boat while he was on his way to base camp. Because of this, they didn’t know if he was okay when he finally arrived.

Jeff explained that when Jake arrived at camp, it confirmed their worst fears, but also reassured them he was receiving the best possible medical attention. With a full team of doctors, nurses, and paramedics on hand, Jake was in good hands considering he’d been bitten by a snake in the middle of the ocean.

Fortunately, the bite didn’t inject any venom, but medical staff decided Jake shouldn’t continue playing the game.

The incident served as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by contestants on *Survivor* in Fiji. However, Jeff also emphasized how carefully the show prioritizes the safety of its players during filming.

He pointed out that this was the twentieth time someone had been medically evacuated from the show. But when you consider that over 750 people have competed on *Survivor* in 25 seasons, it’s actually a rare occurrence – happening to just over 2 percent of players.

He explained that the need for a medical evacuation proves the show is genuinely dangerous. He still frequently gets asked if *Survivor* is authentic, but he emphasized that the recent incident – involving a venomous sea krait bite – was very real and frightening.

For more on this season’s contestants, read on.