Terrifying! Man dies after being strangled by his 18-foot pet snake

• A gruesome death occurred at a home in Pennsylvania.
• A man was strangled to death by his pet snake
• The victim owned an 18-foot boa constrictor.

A terrifying incident has shocked a community in Pennsylvania. Authorities said a young man died after being strangled by his own pet snake, an 18-foot-long boa constrictor that coiled around his neck.

Elliot Senseman, 27, died Sunday morning, July 24, at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said. The cause of death was recorded as anoxic brain injury due to constriction asphyxiation and the manner of death was ruled accidental, according to The Associated Press.

He was strangled to death by his pet snake

“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 Medical Examiner’s Office revealed on Monday, referring to the tragic case that occurred in Pennsylvania.

Police had been called to a home in Fogelsville, in eastern Pennsylvania, shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20. They were responding to a report that a man was in cardiac arrest and had a snake wrapped around his neck. Upon arrival at the scene, an officer was able to shoot the snake in the head without injuring Senseman, who received medical assistance and was taken to the hospital.

Elliot Senseman rescued abandoned animals

The Upper Macungie Township Police and Coroner’s Office continue to investigate the case. Police told WTXF-TV that the snake was Senseman’s pet and that other snake enclosures were found in the home. Investigators do not know the circumstances of the attack because «the dire situation» prevented «prolonged interviews… about the snake, its origin or anything like that,» Lt. Peter Nickischer said Monday, according to the AP.

Quoting NBC10 Philadelphia, The Sun said police discovered at least two other snakes and additional animals in the house during a search on the day of the tragedy. Family members told NBC10 that Senseman often rescued unwanted or abandoned animals.

Heartbreaking words from the victim’s mother

Senseman’s mother, identified as Heather Lyons, spoke with The Morning Call after her son’s tragic death. She described him as «eccentric, funny, unique and brilliant». In turn, she added: “Everything he did was for other people. Even the damn snakes, he was rescuing them from people who couldn’t take care of them.»

Although the coroner called the snake a boa constrictor, a friend of Senseman’s from college, identified as Jeremy Rios Griffin, thought otherwise, commenting that the snake may have been a reticulated python, the longest snake in the world.

Important advice for those who own pet snakes

Meanwhile, the founder of the Schuylkill County-based Venom Institute, Rudy Arceo, stressed that people who own snakes as pets should take safety seriously. “Reticulated pythons are really pretty, they have different morphs. So, people buy them because of the different colors and patterns.”

He added, “And when they buy them, they’re like 17 inches, 18, 20 inches. … And then they take it home, and this thing grows 7 feet the first year or year and a half. Then all of a sudden, they got a big snake on their hands.” He also stressed that the owner of a long snake should never hold it alone, as limbless reptiles wrap themselves around whatever they can for balance and stability.