Mayor recounts ordeal after spouse bitten by copperhead snake: ‘Excruciating ache’

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A North Carolina politician is spreading consciousness after his spouse was bitten by a copperhead snake in a daunting incident this week.

Robert Burns, mayor of Monroe, a suburb southeast of Charlotte, shared the harrowing incident in an X publish on April 30.

"So ... phrase has gotten out that my candy spouse was bitten by a big copperhead final night time," he started. "When it occurred, we rushed her to the ER."

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The Republican mayor mentioned that, although his spouse Lauren's vitals have stabilized , they're "not out of the woods but."

"She is in a variety of ache, most likely greater than I’ve ever seen her in," Burns wrote.

<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/05/672/378/NC-MAYOR-BURNS-WIFE-SNAKE-BITE-INCIDENT-WHAT-TO-KNOW-1.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/05/1344/756/NC-MAYOR-BURNS-WIFE-SNAKE-BITE-INCIDENT-WHAT-TO-KNOW-1.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/05/931/523/NC-MAYOR-BURNS-WIFE-SNAKE-BITE-INCIDENT-WHAT-TO-KNOW-1.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/05/1862/1046/NC-MAYOR-BURNS-WIFE-SNAKE-BITE-INCIDENT-WHAT-TO-KNOW-1.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Robert Burns described the scary second his spouse was bitten close to a wooded space on their property, resulting in hours of medical monitoring. (Precise snake not proven.) (iStock; @RobertBurns82 by way of X)

"We’re a busy household with so much occurring proper now, however we actually cherish your prayers and are grateful for all of the assist, texts, calls, emails and properly needs," he added.

The copperhead snake is the most typical and prevalent venomous snake within the state, in response to the North Carolina Wildlife Sources Fee's web site.

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"In lots of areas, together with many of the bigger city areas of the state, it's the solely venomous snake," the positioning says. "As a result of they're so widespread and tolerate residing close to folks, copperheads account for most likely over 90% of venomous snakebites in North Carolina."

"She is in a variety of ache, most likely greater than I’ve ever seen her in."

Talking to Fox Information Digital on Friday, the mayor mentioned his spouse is at the moment "resting in mattress as greatest as she will."

" I've not seen her on this constant quantity of ache earlier than," he mentioned. "We have had six children , and I've additionally seen her with kidney stones. I've seen all of it, and he or she is in excruciating ache proper now ."

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Burns, who is named "NC's mayor," mentioned the incident occurred whereas he was outdoors grilling meals as Lauren spoke on the telephone along with her father.

Lauren was strolling close to a rope swing in a wooded space on their property when she was all of the sudden bitten by the reptile.

Copperheads depend on camouflage to mix into their environment, making them troublesome to identify earlier than an encounter. (iStock)

"All I heard was, 'Babe, it isn't good, this isn't good,' and I am like, 'Are you okay?'" he recalled. "She ran across the facet of the home, and he or she's like, 'Babe, I believe I bought bit by a snake."

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Burns rapidly used his cellphone flashlight and located two puncture wounds on her left ankle.

"They have been bleeding. They have been sufficiently big," he mentioned.

<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/05/672/378/NC-MAYOR-BURNS-WIFE-SNAKE-BITE-INCIDENT-WHAT-TO-KNOW-2.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/05/1344/756/NC-MAYOR-BURNS-WIFE-SNAKE-BITE-INCIDENT-WHAT-TO-KNOW-2.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/05/931/523/NC-MAYOR-BURNS-WIFE-SNAKE-BITE-INCIDENT-WHAT-TO-KNOW-2.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/05/1862/1046/NC-MAYOR-BURNS-WIFE-SNAKE-BITE-INCIDENT-WHAT-TO-KNOW-2.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Copperhead snakes are the most typical venomous snakes in North Carolina, accounting for the overwhelming majority of bites throughout the state. (iStock)

When Burns requested what kind of snake it was, his spouse mentioned it could have been a copperhead. They went again and located the possible offender.

"This was a couple of 4-foot snake," he mentioned. "It was most likely about as thick as my wrist to my forearm."

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Burns added, "The second you see a copperhead, you understand it is a copperhead, as a result of it is a copper colour and it has a sample on its again, and it was huge."

The couple's 14-year-old daughter had simply been strolling barefoot in the identical space moments earlier than the chunk, he mentioned. She might have even tripped over the snake with out realizing it.

"These are the varieties of snakes that do not run," Burns mentioned. "They do not flee … they stand their floor ."

Copperheads are liable for greater than 90 % of venomous snake bites in North Carolina, in response to state officers. (iStock)

Medical doctors monitored Lauren for a number of hours, monitoring her vitals and consulting poison management as as swelling unfold from her foot up her leg.

Whereas the chunk brought about important ache and irritation, her situation stabilized, and the household in the end selected to not use anti-venom because of potential dangers. Lauren was discharged to get better at residence, the place they're managing her ache.