‘Snake Salvation’ Preacher, Jamie Coots, Dies From Snake Bite: What Happens When Religious Beliefs Impact Medical Decisions?. By Justin Caba. medicaldaily.com.  February 17, 2014. "Snake Salvation" Pastor Jamie Coots died this past Saturday after a rattlesnake he was handling bit him on the hand during a service at Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name Church of Middlesboro, Ky. The preacher refused medical attention from emergency responders and went home to pray over his injuries where he was found dead approximately an hour after he was bitten.

"In following Pastor Coots, we were constantly struck by his devout religious convictions despite the health and legal peril he often faced. Those risks were always worth it to him and his congregants as a means to demonstrate their unwavering faith," National Geographic said in a statement to Fox News. "We were honored to be allowed such unique access to Pastor Jamie and his congregation during the course of our show, and give context to his method of worship."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 7,000 and 8,000 people receive a bite from a venomous snake ever year, five of which die as a result of their injuries. The most common type of venomous snakes in the southern United States, where venomous snakebites occur most frequently, are pit vipers, which include copperheads, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths (water moccasin). Pit vipers account for 97 percent of all venomous snakebites in the U.S.
Coots was considered one of the only preachers left in the U.S. practicing snake handling, a controversial religious practice in some Pentecostal churches based off of passages from the Bible that allude to the handling of serpents. Cody Coots, the preacher’s son, said he and a group of churchgoers helped walk his father out to the car and brought him back to his house. By the time ambulatory services arrived at the church, Coots had already left.
After arriving to Coots’ house in an attempt to administer medical services, Coots refused emergency services needed to counteract the infection. Coots did not believe in going to the hospital for a snakebite due to religious reasons. About an hour after his refusal to medical attention, authorities arrived back at Coots’ residence to find him dead. People who die as the result of a fatal snakebite usually experience heart failure.
People refusing medical attention due to their religious background is nothing new and, unfortunately, the situation ends with a similar result on most occasions. An article published in a 1998 issue of the journal Pediatrics documented 172 deaths related to faith-based healing over the course of 20 years involving 23 religions in sects in 34 states. Researchers said a majority of these deaths could have been prevented by medical care.
Back in August 2013, a young Amish girl’s family lobbied for her to be taken off of chemotherapy due to side effects she was feeling as a result. When some of the health concerns related to the radiation in chemo such as nausea and hair loss, the young girl and her family opted for natural medicine. The 10-year-old girl suffered lymphoblastic lymphoma, an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is curable with modern medicine. 
Watch Snake Salvation’ Pastor Dies From Snakebite | Full VideoA Kentucky preacher famous for handling snakes during religious services, has died after being bitten by a poisonous snake at his church.,,,
Jamie Coots was bitten at his church in Middlesboro, Ky., and died after Coots refused to go to the hospital for further treatment, according to police.
The Middlesboro Police said they believed Coots was 42 years old…….Coots was the star of National Geographic’s "Snake Salvation" reality series, which followed the 42-year-old as he worked to preserve his way of religious way of life at his church, the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name..
Coots told ABC News during an earlier interview for "Nightline" that he and his followers believe that God calls upon them to handle venomous serpents and to drink other poisons. If bitten, Coots and his parishioners will refuse medical treatment because they believe that their fate is in God’s hands…..
Snake Handling: Religious Right or Community Menace?
Police said they received a call about a snakebite injury around 8:30 from Coots’ church. However, when emergency responders arrived at the scene, Coots had already driven home about one to two miles from his church.
Police and medical personal then went to his home and found that Coots had been bitten on his hand. For another 40 minutes medical personal stayed with Coots and tried to persuade him to go to the hospital for further medical attention.
Coots refused and eventually the emergency responders left. An hour after they left, another call was made from Coots’ home to say that the pastor had died. Emergency personal and the coroner was dispatched to the scene. Currently the death is being treated as a non-criminal investigation.
Both Coots’ father and grandfather handled snakes as Pentecostal preachers and Coots wanted to pass on the tradition to his son. Last year Coots showed ABC News his backyard snake shack. He had a permit that allowed him to legally keep the animals.
West Virginia Preacher Dies From Snakebite
In 1995, one of Coots’ parishioners suffered a fatal snake bite in 1995 after she refused anti-venom.
"If someone gets bit in my church and they’re not immediate family. I will call 911 and have the paramedics come out and let them tell the paramedics they don’t want medical treatment," Coots told ABC News during an interview for "Nightline" last year.
Coots told ABC News he had been bitten nine times and even lost his finger during a previous bite since he refused medical attention