'Snake Salvation' Star Dies From Snake Bite

Pastor Jamie Coots, star of the National Geographic show 'Snake Salvation,' died on Saturday from a poisonous snake bite. Coots, a Pentecostal pastor in Middlesboro, KY, worked tirelessly to keep a 100-year-old tradition alive: the handling of dangerous snakes in church. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and his son, Cody "Little Cody."

Snake handling in churches is a tradition amongst the Appalachian hills and southeastern states. Though a small part of religious ceremonies, the practice is derived from sections of the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Luke:

• "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17-18)

• "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)

The belief is that snakes cannot harm those who worship and devote. It is against his religion to seek medical attention if bitten by a venomous snake.

Coots had committed his life to the practice and worked to promote his form of worship. He constantly faced battles with the law and a disapproving society.

The executive producer for the series, Matt Testa said, "Jamie and Andrew take huge risks in practicing their faith, not just in terms of the danger posed by the venomous serpents they handle, but also from law enforcement. He added, "They firmly believe they are commanded by the Bible to take up serpents as a sign to non-believers, and feel strongly they are exercising their religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution. They often say, 'God's law trumps the law of man.' "

Coots had been a pastor since 1994 and his grandfather built the Pentecostal subset church. The sector of the church is often referred to as the "Holiness Faith."