Rattlesnake bites teen on southern state fishing trip
Officials executed a dramatic rescue last week after a teenager on a fishing trip was bitten by a rattlesnake "deep in the woods" of the western North Carolina mountains.
The State Emergency Operations Center dispatched a North Carolina National Guard Black Hawk helicopter to the scene in Avery County with rescue technicians from the Charlotte Fire Department.
"The hiker was successfully rescued and was receiving medical treatment at the hospital," North Carolina Emergency Management said in a June 5 Facebook post.
The snake bite victim, Zain Shah, thanked first responders in the comments section.
"Thank you all for rescuing me! I recognize the man in yellow on the far right from when he took me up on the cable to the helicopter. I cannot express my gratitude enough!" he wrote.
Shah's father, Inman Shah, also explained in the comments section that "[w]hat started as a fun end-of-high-school fishing trip" for his son, Zain, "and his buddy in the WNC mountains turned deadly when he was bitten by a timber rattlesnake deep in the woods."
"I'm beyond grateful for the incredible NCHART and Linville-Central Rescue teams, who got to them in the middle of nowhere and saved his life!" Inman Shah wrote. "He was air-lifted to and treated at Johnson City Medical Center, TN, and is now recovering at home. We are forever in your debt."
The timber rattlesnake is a pit viper that is gray in color, sometimes with a pinkish hue, with black and brown diamond-like shapes across its back. It also has a stripe that runs down its back, which can be orange, yellow or pinkish in color, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.
A timber rattlesnake will prop itself upright and make a rattling noise with its tail when threatened – a warning that it is about to strike. They range in size from about 2.5 to 5 feet on average.
The pit vipers can be found across the eastern United States, with sightings ranging from Texas to Iowa to the Carolinas and north to Pennsylvania and New England, according to the National Zoo.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NC Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life results for June 20, 2025
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here's a look at Friday, June 20, 2025 results for each game: 26-49-58-61-63, Mega Ball: 09 Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here. 05-09-31-33-45, Lucky Ball: 08 Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here. Day: 7-0-7, Fireball: 1 Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Day: 7-0-6-4, Fireball: 6 Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card. To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations: Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999. Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999. Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999. NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount. Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999. Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999. Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday. Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily. Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily. Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily. This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: NC Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life results for June 20, 2025
New York Times
8 hours ago
- New York Times
Pilot Killed in Plane Crash Had Lifted Wheel to Dodge a Turtle, N.T.S.B. Says
The pilot of a small plane who was killed in a crash this month in North Carolina had lifted a wheel after landing to spare a turtle on the runway, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report released on Friday. The pilot and one passenger were killed when the plane crashed just before noon on June 3 near Sugar Valley Airport in Mocksville, N.C., about 60 miles north of Charlotte, the report said. Another passenger was severely injured. The N.T.S.B. said in its report that a communications officer pointed out the turtle to the pilot as the plane returned to the airport and turned to prepare to land on a runway. The pilot landed but then lifted the Universal Stinson 108 plane's right wheel to avoid the turtle. The communications operator reported that she heard the pilot advance the throttle after lifting the wheel. She said that she lost sight of the plane after that. A man cutting the grass at the end of the runway said that he saw the pilot lift the wheel to spare the turtle, the report said. He then saw the plane's wings begin to rock back and forth before it took off again. The man lost sight of the plane after it passed behind a hangar, but said he heard a loud crash and saw smoke, according to the report. The plane crashed in a heavily forested area about 250 feet past the runway and caught fire. It was wedged between several trees and remained intact aside from a few pieces of fabric, the report said. It was unclear whether the pilot's decision to lift the tire to avoid the turtle caused the crash. The N.T.S.B., which said it does not identify the victims in its reports, did not list a probable cause. A final N.T.S.B. report on the crash could take one to two years to complete, the board said. The registered owner of the plane listed on a Federal Aviation Administration website did not immediately respond to a phone message on Friday seeking comment.
Associated Press
13 hours ago
- Associated Press
Pilot killed in small plane crash in North Carolina raised a wheel to avoid a turtle, NTSB says
MOCKSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The pilot of a small plane that crashed near a North Carolina airport this month had raised a wheel after landing to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report. The pilot of the Universal Stinson 108 and a passenger were killed in the June 3 crash near Sugar Valley Airport in Mocksville, officials said. A second passenger was seriously injured in the crash. A communications operator looking out the airport office window advised the pilot that there was a turtle on the runway, according to the report released this week. The operator reported that the pilot landed about 1,400 feet (427 meters) down the 2,424-foot (739-meter) runway, then lifted the right main wheel to avoid the turtle. The operator heard the pilot advance the throttle after raising the wheel, but the airplane left her view after that. A man cutting the grass at the end of the runway reported seeing the pilot raise the right wheel to avoid the turtle, then the wings rocked back and forth and the plane took off again, according to the report. The man lost sight of the plane and then he heard a crash and saw smoke. The plane crashed in a heavily forested area about 255 feet (78 meters) from the runway and caught fire, officials said. The plane was wedged between several trees and remained in one piece except for a few pieces of fabric found in a nearby stream. It came to rest on its left side with the left wing folded underneath the fuselage and the right wing bent toward the tail. Preliminary reports contain facts collected on scene, but don't speculate on probable causes, according to the NTSB's website. Those are included in final reports, which can take one to two years to complete.
