SCORPION STINGS MAN IN HIS TESTICLES WHILE HE SLEEPS AT VEGAS HOTEL

PEOPLE

 

Scorpion Stings Man in His Testicles While He Slept at Las Vegas Hotel

A guest of the Venetian Las Vegas says he found a scorpion hanging on his underwear after waking up to a feeling of “somebody stabbing me in my private area”

By Cara Lynn Shultz  Updated on March 5, 2024 12:16PM EST

 

A California man says he was stung by a scorpion on his testicles while sleeping at the posh Venetian Las Vegas during a visit to the famed strip over the holidays.

 

“I just felt like somebody stabbing me in my private area,” Michael Farchi told KLAS about the December 26 incident. “It felt like a sharp glass or a knife.”

 

“I went to the restroom, and I saw a scorpion hanging on my underwear,” the Agora Hills resident added.

 

Although Farchi says “I didn’t even ask” how the arachnid got in the room, he adds, “Nobody told me about any option, it just was under my cover.”

 

He filed a medical incident report with the hotel, writing “I have been bitten by a scorpion at my groin/testicles,” adding the injury sustained was “a lot of pain.”

 

“Scorpion stings are painful but rarely life-threatening,” the Mayo Clinic says, adding that younger children and older adults are most at risk of suffering complications from a scorpion sting.

 

And, of course, the site of the sting needs to be considered.

 

“Your testicles contain many sensitive nerves, which can make testicular pain severe,” the Cleveland Clinic says. 

 

“Everybody was in shock. Nobody believed, even I couldn’t believe,” Farchi told KLAS.

 

“When you check into a hotel, you expect to be safe,” Farci’s lawyer, Brian Virag, told the outlet.

 

“I'm certain that the Venetian, like every major hotel, has policies and procedures in place to try to avoid something like this. However it's one thing to have policies and procedures in place, it's another thing to make sure they're followed," Virag added.

 

“Scorpions are “generally more active at night,” the Mayo Clinic says. “They usually won't sting unless provoked or attacked. Most stings occur when they're accidentally grabbed or stepped on or brushed against the body.”

 

Scorpions are native to Nevada, and there are about 25 species that are “relatively harmless,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal said in an article about the area’s native species, which are generally treated as a local pest — albeit, an intimidating one.

 

A spokesperson for the Venetian Las Vegas tells PEOPLE that "the resort has protocols for all incidents and we can confirm they were followed in this incident."