New Jersey Man Considers Himself Lucky After Surviving Venomous Snake Bite

A New Jersey man feels lucky to be alive after he was bitten by a venomous snake while on a hike.

The man, identified as 23-year-old Kevin Murray, was on a trail in Hopewell Township with two friends on the night of Aug. 5 when a copperhead snake bit him. It was only when he fell to the ground that he realized what had happened, reported 6 ABC.

Recalling the incident, Murray told New Jersey.com Wednesday, "It felt like a bee sting at first. When it happened, I didn't see the snake at first so I had no idea, It was right in my ankle and I felt a really sharp, stinging pain. So I fell to the ground a little bit, and then I saw the snake right on the trail."

At first, Murray thought it was just a garter snake. However, after sending a photo of the reptile to his father, they agreed he should be taken to a nearby hospital.

"They brought me to the ICU to monitor my heart rate to make sure the venom wasn't spreading to my heart," he recalled.

Murray was released from the hospital three days later. He now considers himself lucky.

"I really do consider myself very lucky because I know this could have gone a lot worse," Murray said, adding that the snake bite has no long-term effects on him.

New Jersey's Division of Fish and Wildlife said no one has ever died from a copperhead snake bite in the state.

"It makes up a very small percentage of the total snakes we have in the area. This is kind of snakebite season. We typically think of the warmer weather as being associated with more activity with snakes," Dr. Robert Bassett, associate medical director for Philadelphia Poison Control, told 6 ABC.

According to experts, one thing that served Murray well in his ordeal was his ability to remain calm after the snake bit him.

Copperheads are venomous snakes that are found throughout the southern and eastern United States. However, in comparison to other venomous snakes, their venom is considered mild.

Just last month, a 15-year-old Missouri teen found a copperhead snake inside the washing machine while she was doing laundry. Fortunately, a snake catcher rushed to the scene and managed to remove the reptile in no time.