A high school football player in Arkansas shocked his coaches when they discovered a venomous cottonmouth snake had been curled up inside his helmet during an hour of practice time.

Maumelle High School Athletic Director Kirk Horton told the media that his whole staff was alarmed when the teen ran in to have his helmet check because he thought something felt strange. When the staff looked inside the helmet, they found a 2-foot-long snake curled up in the padding.

“It really was just shock and disbelief,” Horton told KARK-TV. “I’ve got a better shot at winning the lottery than seeing this in my ten years.”

Horton said that they put the helmet in a bag and called Maumelle Animal Services to take possession of the dangerous snake.

The coach added that from now on he would be sure to urge all players to look over their equipment before putting it on.

Cottonmouth snakes are one of the most venomous snakes in the USA. It is estimated that upwards to 8,000 people are bitten each year by venomous snakes in the U.S., but only about six victims die. The cottonmouth — also called a water moccasin — is usually responsible for at least one of those deaths annually.

While death from the venom of the cottonmouth is rare, a bite still needs medical intervention and should not be ignored. Symptoms include swelling of the bite site, nausea and vomiting, and disruption of blood clotting which can cause internal bleeding. Further, tissue damage around the bite site may require excision and in rare cases, might require amputation of an extremity if left untreated for too long.

Doctors warn that victims of a cottonmouth bite should not apply any tourniquets or ice to a bite site and should get to a medical professional quickly. The risk of death is low with quick medical attention, but death can easily occur if the bite is left untreated.

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