Months after snake-handling preacher’s death, his son recovering from snakebite

Snake-handling preacher Cody Coots got scared when the 6-foot long rattler bit his right hand early Monday.

Just three months ago, his father, Jamie Coots, died within minutes of being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service at his Middlesboro church.

The loss was still fresh for his family and friends, and Cody Coots, who took over for his father, had just been bitten by an even bigger rattler.

At first, “All I could think about — am I going to make it?” Coots said.

But he remembered his father’s instruction not to panic after a bite because that would make it worse, and tried to keep calm. The painful bite caused swelling and he vomited repeatedly. Friends and family prayed for his healing for hours after Coots refused to go to the hospital.

By Tuesday afternoon, Coots said the pain was gone and he had been able to eat. He was still a little wobbly at times when he tried to walk, Coots said, but he expects to return to work in a few days.

“For a rattler bite, it wasn’t bad at all,” said Coots, who is 21.

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