News / 

Man dies of snake bites after refusing to go to hospital

(Leighton Photography & Imaging/Shutterstock/File)


Save Story

Show 1 more video

Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

NIXA, Missouri — A Missouri man died over the weekend after being bitten by a snake on both legs, then refusing to seek treatment.

Gilbert De Leon, 37, was wading in the James River with his girlfriend May 22 when he yelled that he’d been bitten by a snake, according to USA Today.

“(De Leon) got out of the river to find he’d been bitten twice — once on each leg,” Christian County coroner Brad Cole told the paper. “I’m not sure what kind of snake bit him, but the only venomous water snake I’m aware of is a cottonmouth.”

De Leon’s girlfriend tried to convince him to go to the hospital, but he refused, claiming he wouldn’t be able to afford the bill, according to KFOR. Things only got worse that night.

What to do if bitten by a snake
  • Try to see and remember the color and shape of the snake
  • Keep the bitten person still and calm
  • Seek medical attention
  • Dial 911
  • Apply first aid if you cannot get the person to the hospital right away
    • Lay or sit the person down with the bite below the level of the heart
    • Tell him/her to stay calm and still
    • Cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing
Source: CDC For more information, see the video "Snake Bite Treatment" above.

“During the night, she thought he was having some labored breathing, but once again, could not get him to go to the doctor or seek medical attention,” Cole said.

The girlfriend told investigators De Leon remained lethargic and snored louder than usual, according to KY3. He died in his sleep sometime early Saturday.

While there won’t be an autopsy, a toxicology report was ordered. The results from that test should take about eight weeks.

“The lab won’t tell us anything about a snake bite, but it will say if there was a drug overdose or alcohol overdose,” Cole told USA Today. “However, I didn’t find anything else that looked to me like the cause of death was anything other than a snake bite.”

The fang marks were ¾ of an inch wide, indicating a smaller snake, Cole said. There are several venomous snake species in Missouri, including cottonmouths, copperheads and rattlesnakes.

Most recent News stories

Jessica Ivins

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast