PERTH, Australia (WSVN) — An Australian man accidentally triggered a massive police response over his reaction to finding a spider in his home.

According to Australian media, police responded to the home of Rhys Howard after hearing reports from a concerned passerby of a man screaming “Why don’t you die?” while a child was crying inside the home.

When police arrived, Howard admitted the commotion stemmed from him his reaction to seeing a spider in his home.

“I came out of the bedroom and I saw a spider on the floor … I freaked out as I normally do,” Howard said.

Howard said his partner usually kills spiders, but she was in the shower at the time, so he took on the task himself and used one of his daughter’s diapers to kill it. Unfortunately, his frantic screams startled his young daughter who was in a nearby room.

Howard’s partner, Kara Loran, said he was still shaking with fear when she came out to see what the commotion was.

“This is pretty normal for him – he is an over-the-top person,” she said.

Howard said he was embarrassed that his reaction caused such a response, but he did say it is amusing in hindsight.

The couple also said they would like to thank the passerby for their concern and for contacting the police.

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