Camping trip becomes ‘worst nightmare’ as copperhead bites 4-year-old in NC, mom says
A camping trip to the North Carolina mountains turned into a family’s “worst nightmare” when a venomous snake bit a 4-year-old boy, his mom told news outlets.
Stacey Pollom told WTVC her young son, Jad, was playing outside a cabin over Memorial Day weekend when she heard him scream.
“I knew it was a concerning one,” Pollom — who is from Chattanooga, Tennessee — told the outlet.
Pollom said her husband got Jad to safety and took a photo, which helped document the type of snake that had been lurking near patio furniture. The family raced to an emergency room, where Jad started getting treatment for a copperhead bite to his foot, according to WRCB.
The 4-year-old received “10 vials of antivenom treatment” before being flown to a Tennessee hospital for additional care, Pollom wrote May 27 in a Facebook post.
“Truly, it would be most parents’ worst nightmare to see your kid in that helicopter and not go with them and also recognizing that they’re going to get there hours before you’re going to be able to get to them,” Pollom told WTVC.
Eventually, Jad was on the mend, “asking for Paw Patrol and his best friend,” his mom wrote.
Jad reportedly experienced the harrowing moments as his family visited the Highlands region of North Carolina, roughly 75 miles southwest of Asheville. Copperheads are found throughout the state and are known for having “hourglass-shaped crossbands” on their bodies.
“Copperheads account for probably over 90 percent of venomous snakebites in North Carolina,” the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wrote on its website. “A bite is painful and should be treated as serious.”
Copperhead bites are deadly in rare cases, and those who are bitten are urged to wash the affected area and call Poison Control at 800-222-1222. To help avoid bites, experts urge people to be cautious around places that the snakes frequent, The News & Observer reported.
After her family’s frightening encounter, Pollom told WRCB her son is unfazed. Though the family loves being outside, the boy’s mom acknowledged it’s “gonna be a long time before I go camping again.”
Pollom didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on June 8.
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