A Fayetteville woman says she was bitten by a copperhead snake on Monday while walking with her young son and dog along the Cape Fear River Trail.
“I noticed my foot was wet, like, what’s going on?” Melinda Hart said. “[I was] trying to see what was going on, I turned around and there was a copperhead on the path.
“At first, I didn’t know it was a copperhead.”
Hart said the venomous bite happened just as she was checking her phone.
“[I] didn’t see anything on the trail that I was concerned about. But obviously being distracted for a second cost me a snake bite,” Hart said. “Initially, it was immediate, searing pain to the point where almost if you had stepped on a fire ant hill.”
Trying to protect her 16-month-old son and dog, Hart says she backed away and immediately called 911. First responders used ATVs to reach her on the trail.
Hart was able to take a photo of the snake before help arrived.
The bite comes as state biologists warn copperhead sightings could increase in the coming weeks.
“September through early October is baby copperhead season in North Carolina,” said the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in a recent Facebook post. “Young copperheads look exactly like adults, except they have a yellow-tipped tail which they will wiggle to lure prey within striking distance.”
The bite did not require Hart to be given anti-venom. She’ll be on bed rest over the course of weeks-long recovery.
“My swelling is a little worse today,” Hart said. “My bruising is a little worse today. Those were causes for concern.”
The mother says she hopes her story will help others to remain calm and get immediate help if bitten. She’s relieved the venomous encounter did not end worse.
“We were still within striking distance of the snake. It was ready to strike again, even in the picture. How I did not get bit a second time, or the dog did not get bit, I would rather it just be me, and I’m grateful for that,” Hart said.
WRAL News has reported on snake bites in central North Carolina. It includes a Raleigh woman getting bit in June.
According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the copperhead is the most common and widespread venomous snake in North Carolina. Biologists do not consider copperhead bites to be life-threatening.
After a bite, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you:
- Take a photo of the snake from a safe distance to help physicians determine the species.
- Remove any jewelry near the affected area, since you may experience swelling.
- Wash the bite gently with soap and water.
- Do not apply ice or a tourniquet, and do not try to suck out the venom.
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