Oklahoma man suffers a heart attack after capturing 6-foot rattlesnake

An Oklahoma man got more thrill than he bargained for when he caught a 6-foot rattlesnake and then suffered a heart attack just 20 minutes later. 

Dennis Crow of the KSNAK Live Coverage snake hunters was out in the Wichita Mountains when he saw the incredible snake on Saturday. 

Crow, 51, was searching for serpents to bring to an upcoming rattlesnake festival in Apache when he suddenly started struggling to breathe.

Dennis Crow of the KSNAK Live Coverage snake hunters was out in the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma when he caught a 6-foot rattlesnake – and suffered a heart attack 20 minutes later

Crow, 51, (pictured with friend Robert Lutonsky) was searching for serpents to bring to an upcoming rattlesnake festival in Apache when he suddenly started struggling to breathe

Crow, 51, (pictured with friend Robert Lutonsky) was searching for serpents to bring to an upcoming rattlesnake festival in Apache when he suddenly started struggling to breathe

Courtesy of KSNAK 

At first Crow thought there was something wrong with his lungs, and told his friends and fellow hunters Steve Booker and Robert Lutonsky that he was worried.

‘I told Steve that I had something wrong with me and that we needed to leave,’ Crow recalled in a Facebook post. 

The group was a mile away from the pick-up point and Crow was becoming increasingly concerned. 

‘I pretty much knew that what was happening to me was something I have never felt in my 51 years,’ he said. 

Crow (pictured here capturing the rattlesnake) thought there was something wrong with his lungs and told his friends that he needed to leave 

Crow (pictured here capturing the rattlesnake) thought there was something wrong with his lungs and told his friends that he needed to leave 

Crow said he whispered 'a little prayer' that he would make it down the mountain and see his wife and children again 

Crow said he whispered ‘a little prayer’ that he would make it down the mountain and see his wife and children again 

Pictured here is Robert Lutonsky holding up the 6-foot python the men caught on Saturday 

Pictured here is Robert Lutonsky holding up the 6-foot python the men caught on Saturday 

‘I whispered a little prayer to my maker to let me get down from the mountain and see my wife and kids just one more time.’ 

‘As I began my journey down the mountain, stumbling and falling several times, I began to whisper prayers to the big guy up above.’ 

Crow’s wife Amber met them in Apache and drove him to Anadarko Hospital, where doctors ran tests on him for the next five hours. 

After one of the tests delivered worrying results, Crow was rushed to the Oklahoma Heart Hospital at 2.30am on Sunday.  

Crow's wife Amber met them in Apache and drove him to Anadarko Hospital, where doctors ran tests on him for the next five hours. He is pictured here in a past hunt 

Crow’s wife Amber met them in Apache and drove him to Anadarko Hospital, where doctors ran tests on him for the next five hours. He is pictured here in a past hunt 

Crow (pictured here at a previous hunt) was rushed to the Oklahoma Heart Hospital

Crow was rushed into surgery so doctors could repair a 'blockage that was 99 percent blocked in my heart'

Crow (pictured here at previous hunts) was rushed to the Oklahoma Heart Hospital and into surgery to repair a ‘blockage that was 99 percent blocked in my heart’, he said 

‘At that point I became very scared,’ he said. ‘Things began to happen very, very fast.’ 

Crow said he is now making appointments with his cardiologist and is putting snake hunting on the back-burner

Crow said he is now making appointments with his cardiologist and is putting snake hunting on the back-burner

Crow went into surgery at 7am on Sunday to repair ‘a blockage that was 99 percent blocked in my heart’, he explained. 

After one more day in the hospital, Crow was able to return home to his wife and children. 

‘So very thankful because my prayer coming down the mountain was short and sweet,’ he said. ‘My prayers were answered.’ 

Crow said he is now making appointments with his cardiologist and is putting snake hunting on the back-burner.  

‘As for now, the great snake hunt will come to a bitter end until I can mend back up again,’ he said. 

But Crow’s incredible capture lives on in photos and videos, the latter of which has been viewed more than 25,000 times on Facebook. 

‘Caught this lil’ one just about 20 minutes before I had a heart attack!’ he captioned one photo. ‘Maybe he is what triggered it!’  



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