A Pennsylvania man died Sunday after his 18-foot pet snake wrapped itself around his neck days earlier, prompting authorities to fatally shoot the reptile, authorities said.
Elliot Senseman, 27, of Upper Macungie Township, died at Lehigh Valley Hospital—Cedar Crest on Sunday, four days after the attack, officials said.
A boa constrictor, or a similar snake, wrapped its body "around the neck of Mr. Senseman, thus causing the anoxic brain injury" and a "complete lack of oxygen to the brain," according to a statement by the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.
Upper Macungie Township police officers Wednesday were dispatched at 2:12 p.m. ET to the 1400 block of Church Street "for a male in cardiac arrest with a snake wrapped around his neck," according to a department statement.
When the officers arrived, they found the man "who was unresponsive" and on the floor with "a large snake wrapped around" his neck, police said.
Despite "the massive size of the reptile," an officer managed "to shoot the snake in the head without risking further injury to the male," according to the statement.
Officers pulled the mortally wounded snake off the man "at which time emergency medical care was provided," police said.
