A Pennsylvania man has died four days after being strangled by his 18-foot pet boa constrictor.
Elliot Senseman, 27, died during the weekend at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest, the Lehigh County coroner’s office said, according to WHYY. The cause of death was listed as anoxic brain injury due to asphyxiation by constriction, according to the report, which noted that the manner of death was ruled accidental.
"A boa constrictor-type snake approximately 18 feet in length constricted around the neck of Mr. Senseman, thus causing the anoxic brain injury [complete lack of oxygen to the brain],” the coroner’s office said Monday.
Police last Wednesday responded to a call about a man with a snake coiled around his neck who had suffered cardiac arrest in Fogelsville, eastern Pennsylvania. They arrived at the scene to discover the boa constrictor continuing to strangle the victim and proceeded to shoot the snake without injuring Senseman.
Lt. Peter Nickischer from the Upper Macungie Township Police Department described how the snake's midsection had been wrapped around the man's throat and how its head was "just far enough away" to make a "split decision."
"They realized it was a matter of life and death with seconds to make that decision," he said of responding officers, according to Newsweek. "Praise the officers. They did what they had to do.
"It was a safe shoot. I think one of the officer's described it as a scene from a horror movie, and that's probably the most appropriate way to describe it."
Senseman was immediately rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead July 24.
Very little is known about the circumstances surrounding the snake attack as, according to Lt. Peter Nickischer, "the dire situation" precluded "extended interviews … about the snake, its origin, or anything along those lines."
It has been confirmed that the snake was Senseman's pet and several other snake enclosures were found in his home.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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