4-Year-Old Gets Bitten By Copperhead Snake In US Day Care Centre

Last Updated:September 08, 2025, 12:09 IST

A 4-year-old boy was rushed to hospital after he was bitten by a copperhead snake at a day care centre in North Carolina. The family has claimed that the facility did not call 911.

4-year-old boy was bitten by a copperhead snake at a day care centre

A four-year-old boy, bitten by a copperhead snake at a day care centre, was rushed to the hospital by his parents who claimed that the facility did not call the emergency number after the incident and instead waited for the family to come, according to local reports.

The incident took place near a sandbox at the New Beginnings Child Enrichment Center (NBCEC), in Stony Point, on Thursday, when a copperhead snake bit the boy’s left hand causing his fingers to swell, New York Post quoted WRAL as reporting. Following the incident, a worker at the centre killed the snake.

What did the family say

Meanwhile, the boy’s family has alleged that the centre had initially informed them that the child had suffered a splinter or broken hand and asked them to come.

NY Post quoted the boy’s aunt, Brook Cooper, as saying that it wasn’t until the family got to the day care that they were told the truth.

“The director got up and said he got snakebit. My first thought was, why didn’t they call 911? My second thing was like, do the other parents even know?" she said. She also shared photos of the swollen hand of her nephew.

She further said that the day care had not called 911 about the snake bite. This was confirmed by the emergency services in Alexander County.

Meanwhile, Alexander County 911 has said that though the first responders do not carry antivenom but they help the patients before being treated at the hospital.

According to Poison Control, bites from copperhead snakes often lead to large swelling, bruising, and blood blisters around the bite, with people experiencing nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, and bleeding due to their venom. While symptoms can last for 12 hours, complications can occur as copperheads are part of the same subfamily of serpents as rattlesnakes and cottonmouths.

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