Wilkes Snake Bite Victim

A man was air-lifted to Baptist Medical Center Wednesday morning with a possible snake bite.  The victim was working on the water system at the Blue Ridge Mountain Club in Ferguson.  It is believed the man was bitten by a copperhead snake while working Wednesday morning.  Wilkes EMS and Ferguson Fire Dept responded to the scene and treated the man until airlifted to Baptist in Winston-Salem.  The Blue Ridge Mountain Club is off Triplett Road at the western end of the county.  According to the NC Cooperative Extension, a Copperhead snake bite needs medical attention, is extremely painful, and may cause extensive scarring and loss of use. "Copperhead bites are typically not fatal," says Dr. Peter Bromley, N. C. Cooperative Extension Specialist in Zoology. Small animals, like small dogs, may receive a fatal bite from a copperhead. The venom causes local tissue destruction and secondary infection often sets in. If you or your pet are bitten by any snake that you suspect is venomous, get medical attention immediately. Also, North Carolina has the dubious distinction of the most venomous snake bites of any state in the U.S.