A Nebraska FedEx truck delivery driver went far beyond the line of duty. When he encountered a rattlesnake on a customer’s stoop he could have thought, Not my problem. But instead, he chose to kill the snake to protect the family. The Jones’ family’s ring camera captured all the drama (embedded below).

The Jones family had no sooner left, when a snake decided to take the opportunity to climb their warm concrete front step. Christie Jones said of the snake, “It’s very scary. My daughter had just walked out that same door. 20 minutes before that.”

Dealing with the surprise rattlesnake

The 36-inch rattlesnake coiled in a corner near the door. That’s when the delivery driver arrived. A lesser man would have ignored the animal, dropped his delivery, and run. But not Matt Govier. He later said, “I was just kind of putting a position where I had to do something.” 

How do you deal with a rattlesnake? If you’re Govier, you find some tool besides your bare hands. “I knew they had a garage there, and I figured they probably had some tools I can go go grab.” He selected a landscaper’s rake and a shovel to scoop up the animal’s body. Then he decided not to leave it around.

“I had some garbage bags in the truck and I was just like, ‘I’ll throw him in there and then I’ll decide what to do with him later.’” But before Govier left, he texted his customer.

“I hope you didn’t have a pet rattlesnake at your front door because I killed him. Sorry about the blood.”

Christie Jones didn’t mind the mess at all. She was thrilled for the help. “Anyone who really knows me knows how incredibly fearful I am of any kind of snake…Thank you, Matt, very much!” You can see the video embedded below: