Jamie Coots, the Kentucky pastor who starred in the reality show "Snake Salvation," died Saturday after he was bitten by a snake.
Police in Middlesboro said Coots, who practiced snake handling, was bitten while handling a snake at his church, Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name. The Pentecostal pastor, who refused treatment after the bite, was later found dead in his home around 10 p.m., WBIR reported.
Coots, who comes from a family of snake handlers, starred in The National Geographic series "Snake Salvation" with Pastor Andrew Hamblin. Snake handling is banned in most states, but is prevalent throughout the South, CNN reported.
Cody Winn, another preacher at Coots' church, told WBIR he witnessed Coots get bitten on Saturday evening.
"Jamie went across the floor. He had one of the rattlers in his hand, he came over and he was standing beside me. It was plain view, it just turned its head and bit him in the back of the hand before, within a second," Winn said.
Coots later went to the bathroom with his son and Hamblin, WBIR reported.
"Andrew said he looked at him and said 'sweet Jesus' and it was over. He didn't die right then, but he just went out and never woke back up," Winn told WBIR.
Coots was already home by the time emergency responders reached the church. The emergency responders were then refused entry to Coots' home to treat him. By the time they returned to the house an hour later, the preacher was dead.
Coots' son, Cody Coots, told WBIR his father did not believe in receiving medical treatments for snakebites. According Jamie Coots, the Bible states that poisonous snakebites are not dangerous to believers as long as God anoints them, CNN reported.
Cody also told WBIR his dad had suffered eight snakebites before. Coots' son thought this bite would be like the rest.
"We're going to go home, he's going to lay on the couch, he's going to hurt, he's going to pray for a while and he's going to get better. That's what happened every other time, except this time was just so quick and it was crazy, it was really crazy," Cody told WBIR.
