Race against time as hiker bitten by rattlesnake in SoCal forest airlifted to hospital

A hiker bitten by a rattlesnake triggered a desperate search-and-rescue mission to rush him to the hospital and save his life.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Montrose Search and Rescue Team, along with the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team, responded to the incident around 4 p.m. Monday in the Bear Canyon area in Angeles National Forest.

“The victim had texted a family member that he had been bitten by a rattlesnake, but his exact location was unknown,” the LASD Montrose Search and Rescue Team said on Facebook.

“Because Bear Canyon spans the response areas of both Montrose Search and Rescue and Altadena Mountain Rescue, our teams immediately worked together to begin a coordinated search,” the team continued.

Thick tree covers made it hard for the helicopter crew to locate the man while the rescue teams were searching through the Switzer Falls Trail and Tom Sloan Saddle area. Fortunately, the victim was spotted and was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment.

LASD reminded everyone to “carry a satellite emergency communication device” and that “knowing where you are can be just as important as knowing what happened” when hiking in remote areas.

Bites are extremely rare, but in the case that someone gets bitten, it is important to stay calm and “keep bite area lower than your heart, and call for help” according to the US Department of Agriculture.

However, more than 250 rattlesnakes have been recorded in Southern California so far.

Most recently, a woman in Los Angeles County was rushed to the hospital after a rattlesnake bit her while she went to her backyard garden to trim roses in late July. In just 30 to 45 seconds, she recalled feeling a tingling sensation in her fingertips and later in parts of her face.

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