Christopher Ward, 34, died after being bitten by a Gila monster in Denver, Colorado. The desert lizard bit its victim for four minutes and then released him.
Ward was placed on life support and died four days later. The lizard belonged to the couple and was named Winston. Gila monsters have grooves in their teeth that allow them to cling better to their victims and release their venom in a painful way. It is believed that Ward was playing with Winston when he bit him. This is the first death in the United States in almost a century.