Despite a person’s faith or submission to God, the bare truth is that snake handling can be deadly. Take Kentucky pastor Jamie Coots, who had previously appeared in a number of televised reports and features on snake handling, including the National Geographic special, “Snake Salvation.” According to ABC News, Coots was bitten by a rattlesnake during a 2014 service. He reportedly refused medical treatment and, when an ambulance crew found him unconscious at home, his wife signed a form also declining treatment for her husband. He died later that night from the effects of snake venom.

While some took it as an affirmation of Coots’ faith and submission to God’s will, others were more reluctant to accept his death. Andrew Hamblin, another pastor who had been outspoken about practicing snake handling in his own church, told National Geographic that he hadn’t offered it in the wake of Coots’ death. “Since Jamie died, I’ve offered a rattler to no one. I am the shepherd, and I am responsible for what happens in this building,” he said. 

Hamblin, along with a growing number of other snake handling preachers, actually encourages getting medical attention as soon as someone is bitten. After all, there is no Bible verse that says you can’t call 911 after a rattlesnake strikes. Even “Little Cody” Coots, the son of Jamie Coots, requested emergency medical attention after his own encounter with a rattlesnake. Unlike his father, Little Cody survived.