A man was almost strangled to death by a giant snake that had coiled itself around his neck before police shot and killed the reptile.
Officers from Pennsylvania's Upper Macungie Township police department were called out around 2pm on Wednesday (July 20) to reports of a man in cardiac arrest.
They arrived at the property to find the victim, 28, lying unresponsive on the floor between the hallway and bathroom.
One officer described what they saw as like a "scene from a horror movie".
The 15ft snake was so big that its midportion was around the man's neck and its head far enough away to provide an opening for the officers to shoot.
Lieutenant Peter Nickischer said: “The officer kind peeks around the edge of the doorway and quite literally, the snake is looking at him.
“At that point, the officer had to make a split second decision and luckily, because of the distance between the victim and the head of the snake, the officer was able to fire one shot that injured the reptile."
The snake then released its grip from around the man and slithered away before it "just expired", said Nickischer.
The victim was pulled away from the snake and given emergency treatment at the scene before being taken to the hospital.
He survived the ordeal although his condition is unknown.
Officers said the snake was the man's pet and that there several other snake enclosures in his home.
Nickischer said: "I’ve been doing this job for 19 years and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this."
Earlier this month a six-year-old boy was killed by a rattlesnake at Bluestem Prairie Open Space in Colorado Springs.
Simon Currat was cycling with his dad and sister when they stopped for water and was heard shouting "rattlesnake" before collapsing and turning purple.
He suffered a cardiac arrest and died in hospital a few days later.
