THE MERCURY (Pottstown, Pennsylvania) 23 October 05 Student could lose arm from snake bite (Tracy Meadowcroft)

Lower Pottsgrove: A 14-year-old St. Pius X High School student may lose her arm after being bitten by a copperhead snake Friday afternoon at the school, according to police.

The girl, whose name is not being released by police, was flown to Hershey Medical Center, where she was listed in very serious condition after initially receiving treatment at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center for the bite to her finger, according to Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Ray Bechtel.

The girl was taken to PMMC about 45 minutes after she was bitten, Bechtel said.

"The doctors said if it had been a half-hour longer (until she received treatment) she would likely have been dead," Bechtel said.

"We’re quite concerned for the health and well-being of the little girl," he added.

A 17-year-old male student caught the snake in Valley Forge on Oct. 15, Bechtel said. The snake was identified by a picture on his camera phone, which aided in treating the victim. The boy, who has been cooperative during the investigation, may face charges of neglect concerning the incident, Bechtel said. The boy’s name also is not being released, he said.

The director of the drama club also may face charges for not calling medical personnel to treat the girl after she was bitten, he added.

Friday was an in-service day at the school, but members of the drama club had gathered there, at which time the boy brought out the snake, which had been kept in a shoebox, and was showing it to his fellow students, Bechtel said. The snake bit the girl’s finger and she apparently threw the snake across the room after being bitten, Bechtel said.

The boy thought the snake was dead, but it appeared to have only been stunned and has not been located since the boy threw it outside, according to Bechtel.

Bechtel said officials at St. Pius have been very helpful and cooperative during the investigation.

Although copperhead snake bites are typically not fatal they are extremely painful and have been known to cause extensive scarring and loss of limb use, according to the Web site of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension of North Carolina State University.

According to the site, North Carolina has recorded the most venomous snake bite incidents in the United States.

If bitten by a copperhead snake, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension strongly advises that the victim seek medical treatment immediately, since it injects more or less venom depending on how threatened it feels.
Student could lose arm from snake bite

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