Pennsylvania man dies days after pet snake strangles him

A Pennsylvania man who was found with his pet boa constrictor wrapped around his neck has died days later.

Elliot Senseman, 27, died Sunday morning at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Cedar Crest, the Lehigh County coroner’s office said.

He died of anoxic brain injury — lack of oxygen to the brain — due to asphyxiation by constriction, the coroner’s office said, and ruled his death 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.

Senseman had been hanging on since Wednesday, when police were called to his home in rural Fogelsville, in eastern Pennsylvania. A family member guided them to where Senseman was lying unconscious, an 18-foot boa constrictor wrapped around his neck. The snake was glaring at officers as they approached. Its head was far enough from the man’s body for them to shoot the snake dead, which they had to do to loosen its grip.

Two officers responded at 2:12 p.m. Wednesday to the call from a family member, Upper Macungie Township Police Department Lt. Peter Nickischer told CNN, to find the man in cardiac arrest.

“It was a matter of life or death,” Nickischer told People. “So we just saw that it was a very large and a very thick snake, about 15 feet and a lot of girth.”

They shot the animal and pulled Senseman to safety, rendering aid.

“I’ve been doing this job for 19 years and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this,” Nickischer told WXTF-TV.

Senseman owned at least three other snakes, who were all his pets.

With News Wire Services