Hey Hiker.
I thought the same thing about the physicians statement, but two things came to mind. First, the man may have had an allergy to the venom. Second was an old article I read in a magazine when I was a kid. This guy had been handling snakes over thirty years without being bitten. Then one day he got sloppy and a fangs sliced the edge of his thumb. He almost died before he made it to the hospital. He had problem ever after the bite and they estimated that less than one drop of venom had entered the wound. Strange things happen and biology can be a huge factor. Just my humble opinion.