List of fatal snake bites in the United States

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This is a list of persons who received a fatal snake bite in the United States by decade in reverse chronological order. The United States has about 20 species of venomous snakes which include 16 species of rattlesnakes, 2 species of coral snakes, one species of cottonmouth (or water moccasin), and one species of copperhead. At least one type of venomous snake is found in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. About 12 people per year are killed in the United States by snake bites[1] with most being attributed to the eastern and western diamondback rattlesnake. Copperheads account for more cases of venomous snake bite than any other North American species; however, their venom is the least toxic so their bite is seldom fatal.[2]

Venomous snakes are distributed unevenly throughout the United States — the vast majority of snake bites occur in warm weather states. States like Florida and Texas have a wide variety and large population of venomous snakes. Bites from venomous snakes are extremely rare in the states near the Canadian border. Maine, for example, has only one species (Crotalus horridus) and it is rarely seen only in the southern part of the state.

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Contents

[edit] 2010s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Mark Randall Wolford, 44, male May 28, 2012 Timber Rattlesnake Wolford was bitten on the thigh while handling a timber rattlesnake as part of an outdoor religious service at Panther State Forest in McDowell County, West Virginia.[3] Wolford did not initially seek medical treatment for his injury, but was taken to Bluefield Regional Medical Center when his condition began to deteriorate some eight hours later.[3] Wolford was a pastor and often handled his pet snake during church services.[3] Wolford's father, Mack Wolford, died in 1983 under similar circumstances.[4]
Wade Westbrook, 26, male January 29, 2011 Copperhead Westbrook was bitten just above the right elbow while handling a copperhead; he had been attempting to determine the snake's sex.[5] According to witnesses, Westbrook "tried to extract the venom with a tool after he was bitten, then he began coughing and vomiting before he collapsed."[6] Westbrook was pronounced dead on arrival at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee.[6] The cause of death was determined to be "anaphylactic shock as a result of the snake bite."[6]
William Price, 67, male October 13, 2010 rattlesnake, probably a Western Diamondback Price was bitten above the right ankle while wading across a stream near Cuyamaca Reservoir in Cuyamaca, California.[7] Price had been taking part in a study of steelhead trout that was funded by a state Department of Fish and Game grant.[7] According to witnesses, Price "stopped breathing within minutes" of being bitten. The bite marks on his foot were reportedly "an inch and a half across."[7] Price was airlifted to Palomar Medical Center, but later died.

[edit] 2000s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Richard Rupert, 68, male October 10, 2009 rattlesnake Hunting with grandson in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. [8]
Jackie Ledwell, 63, female October, 2007 Mojave Rattlesnake Bitten while taking a walk in Paulden, Arizona. [9]
Inocenio Hernandez-Hernandez, 29, male June 10, 2006 Eastern Coral Snake Hernandez-Hernandez became the first person to die in the United States from a fatal coral snake bite since 1967. He and Jesus Moreida, both of Bonita Springs, Florida, were bitten by a coral snake they tried to kill.[10]
Former police officer from Madison County, Texas 2006 Copperhead [11]
Joe Guidry, 54, male October 2005 Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Guidry, the Putnam County, Florida fire marshall, went to help a neighbor who had spotted a rattlesnake while mowing grass. He shot at the snake; it went under a shed and Guidry was bitten when he reached for it.
Margaret Wilson White, 54, female July 2005 rattlesnake Hays County, Texas near Wimberley along Ranch Road 12, about a quarter mile west of County Road 213[12][13]
Trent Leprette, 31, male June 2004 Copperhead Bitten on each hand while swimming in Saugahatchee Creek near Lochapoka, Alabama. Leprette was admitted to East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika; he developed complications and died after several days of treatment.[14]
Professor Chavez, 34, male May 2003 rattlesnake Killed in Riverside County, California
Pat Hughes, 45, male August 2002 rattlesnake Bitten on finger by a small snake in his own garage, admitted to Sierra Vista Regional Health Center in Sierra Vista, Arizona and treated with antivenom but died of "complications associated with the bite."[15]
Derek Lema, 2, male September 16 2000 Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Bitten in the thigh by rattlesnake while helping his dad Victor Lema in their Lakewood, Florida back yard

[edit] 1990s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Anita Finch, 33, female Reported December 17, 1999 Gaboon Viper or Hog-nosed Sand Viper Bitten by either of these snakes she kept as pets in her Van Nuys, California home[16]

[edit] 1980s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Adult male 1980s rattlesnake A single fatal rattlesnake bite was reported in Utah during this decade
Mack Ray Wolford, 39, male August 28, 1983 Timber Rattlesnake Wolford was bitten on the arm by a timber rattlesnake during religious services at the Lord Jesus Temple in Mile Branch, near Iaeger, West Virginia.[4] Wolford did not initially seek medical treatment. An ambulance was summoned eight hours after Wolford had been bitten, but he died during transport to Stevens Clinic in Welch, West Virginia.[4] Wolford's son, Mark Wolford, died in 2012 under similar circumstances.[3]
John Holbrook, 38, male August 1982 rattlesnake Reverend Holbrook was bitten while handling a rattlesnake during religious services in Oceana, West Virginia.[4][17] Holbrook reportedly refused medical assistance because his religion did not permit it.[4][17]

[edit] 1970s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Gordon D. Ball, 34, male August 5, 1973 rattlesnake Ball was presumably bitten by a snake, possibly a Massasauga, while traveling alone through Bergen-Byron Swamp on a "picture-taking expedition."[18] A five-day police search recovered Ball's body from a small clearing "near Warboys Road, on the swamp's northern perimeter."[18] An autopsy report listed snakebite as the presumptive cause of death.[18]

[edit] 1950s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
George Went Hensley, 74, male July 25, 1955 unknown Died from a bite sustained while handling snakes during a religious service in Virginia

[edit] 1940s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Jerry Frier, 7, male June 22, 1943 rattlesnake Died from rattlesnake bite in Lafayette County, Florida

[edit] 1920s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Rebecca Nimmons, 19, female July 1928 rattlesnake Killed by a rattlesnake in Pickens County, South Carolina
Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Jane Lancaster, 66, female August 21,1921 Timber Rattler (most likely) Ross County, Ohio The bite occurred in Franklin Township at Snake Hollow, near the present day Scioto Trails State Forest, southeast of Chillicothe, Ohio. The article in the Chillicothe Gazette explains that it could not be confirmed if the bite Mrs. Lancaster suffered was from a copperhead or rattle snake. However, given the severity of the incident, it was almost undoubtedly a timber rattler that bit her.[19]


[edit] 1910s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Helen Moomey, 4, female 1915 rattlesnake Died from a rattlesnake bite she received while playing with friends near her house in Billings County, North Dakota
two Wilson children June 1913 Prairie Rattlesnake Bitten and died while family was sleeping on the North Dakota prairie

[edit] 1900s

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Mary Bull, 12, female July 9, 1907 rattlesnake Died from a rattlesnake bite in Shenandoah County, Virginia

[edit] Before 1900

Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments
Rebecca O. Andrews, approximately 28, female c. 1890 rattlesnake Died from rattlesnake bite in Kansas
James Ananias Brannon, 2, male July 1882 rattlesnake Died from a rattlesnake received while lying on a blanket in Texas
George Sides, 6, male May 30, 1873 rattlesnake Died in Texas of a rattlesnake bite
Frederick Louis Niemann, male 1873 rattlesnake Died in Saline County, Kansas, from a rattlesnake bite
William A. Perrin, male 1859 rattlesnake Killed by a rattlesnake at Stribling Springs in Augusta County, Virginia
Maggie Lee, female October 24, 1854 rattlesnake She was the first child to die of a snakebite in Parker County, Texas
H. M. Pettigrew, 31, male 1841 rattlesnake He died from a rattlesnake bite while clearing land in Fannin County, Texas

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Footnotes
  1. ^ "Snake Bites". Survive Outdoors Inc. Retrieved 2011-01-05. 
  2. ^ "Copperhead snake page". Snakesandfrogs.com. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
  3. ^ a b c d "Snake-handling W.Va. preacher dies after suffering bite during outdoor service". The Washington Post. The Associated Press. May 31, 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012. 
  4. ^ a b c d e "Web Extra: 1983 Daily Telegraph story detailing the death of Wolford’s father, also from a snake bite". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. August 30, 1983. Retrieved 12 June 2012. 
  5. ^ Ghianni, Tim (January 31, 2011). "Tennessee man dies from poisonous copperhead snake bite". Reuters. Retrieved 12 June 2012. 
  6. ^ a b c Nicholson, Ken (January 31, 2011). "Updated: Official cause of death determined in snake bite case". Chattanooga, Tennessee: WRCB. Retrieved 12 June 2012. 
  7. ^ a b c Repard, Pauline (October 15, 2010). "La Jolla man dies from rattlesnake bite". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 12 June 2012. 
  8. ^ "Boy couldn't save snakebit grandpa". Retrieved 2011-08-19. 
  9. ^ "Snakebite Deaths Still Rare but are Mounting". Retrieved 2008-01-17. 
  10. ^ "Southeastern Outdoors – Fatal Coral Snake Bites". Retrieved 2008-01-17. 
  11. ^ "The copperhead snake". Retrieved 2010-10-24. 
  12. ^ "July 29, 2005 - Search for missing woman in Hays County". 
  13. ^ [/http://visitwimberley.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000435.html "SAN MARCOS DAILY RECORD Wimberley Woman Missing"] Check |url= scheme (help). 
  14. ^ "Fatal Snake Bite". WTVY.com. June 23, 2004. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  15. ^ "Snake bite kills Sierra Vista man". tucsoncitizen.com. August 20, 2002. Retrieved 2012-11-21. 
  16. ^ "Zoo volunteer killed by deadly snake bite". Sacramento Bee. December 17, 1999. 
  17. ^ a b Mathews, Garret (April 3, 1983). "'Praise-the-Lord-and-pass-the-snake' service is a trip, if you can handle it". The Chicago Tribune. p. J3. 
  18. ^ a b c Graczyk, Mark (February 5, 2012). "Hidden History: Snake bite kills man in Bergen swamp, 1973". The Daily News Online (Batavia, New York). Retrieved 12 June 2012. 
  19. ^ http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/LANCASTER/2000-09/0969108177
General references

[edit] External links

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