'Like a million bees are stinging you': Raleigh woman talks copperhead snake bite

Lisa Austin was taken to the emergency room after being bitten by a copperhead snake that her dogs found in the yard.
Posted 6/30/2025, 9:16:00 PM Updated 7/1/2025, 12:59:10 AM

CHARGES. THANKFULLY, NO

INJURIES REPORT.

BRIAN, THANK YOU. A RALEIGH

WOMAN IS RECOVERING AFTER SHE

SAYS A COPPERHEAD SNAKE.

>> BIT HER ON FRIDAY EVENING.

WRAL'S FLYNN, SNYDER SPOKE WITH

THE WOMAN WHO SAID IT HAPPENED

WHILE SHE WAS TRYING TO PROTECT

HER DOGS.

>> A ROUTINE NIGHTTIME WALK

AROUND THE YARD FOR LEASE

AUSTIN'S DOG LANDED. THE 76

YEAR-OLD IN THE ER THAT THEY

WERE WALKING OVER TO THAT AREA

OF THE FENCE AND I SAW THEM

SMELLING SOMETHING LOOKING AT

SOMETHING. THAT'S SOMETHING

AUSTIN SAYS TO KNOW TO BE A

VENOMOUS COPPERHEAD SNAKE.

SO I GRAB MY DOGS TO PULL THEM

AWAY AND THAT'S WHEN IT HIT ME

DURING THIS SNAKE WOULD NEXT

BITE HER DOGS. AUSTIN SAYS SHE

KILLED THE REPTILE USING A

GARDENING TOOL BEFORE GOING TO

THE HOSPITAL. AND IT STARTS THE

BURNING LIKE THESE ARE BITING.

YOU. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE

INITIAL SENSATION AND SEE

WILDLIFE OFFICIALS SAY

COPPERHEADS ACCOUNT FOR ROUGHLY

90% OF VENOMOUS SNAKE BITES IN

THE STATE WHILE THEY SHOULD

BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. THEY'RE

BUYING IS NOT CONSIDERED

LIFE-THREATENING. OH, YEAH, I

KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT WE SPEND

COSTING NOW FACES A TWO-WEEK

RECOVERY IN PLANS TO ADD MORE

OUTDOOR LIGHTING TO BETTER

SEEING HER YARD AT NIGHT.

DON'T BE COMPLACENT BECAUSE

THEY YOU CAN SEE THE MOST OF

THE TIME. THE DEAD COPPERHEAD

NOW SITS IN A DEBRIS PILE IN

AUSTIN'S FRONT YARD. A WARNING

SIGN THE 75 YEAR-OLD SAYS TO