A hiker in Tennessee died after a snake that he picked up bit him, local emergency management officials said.
The hiker, whom authorities have not publicly named, picked up the snake on a trail in the Savage Gulf State Park on Aug. 8 and was bitten on the hand, the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency told the Nashville Tennesseean.
First responders hooked the man up to a mobile CPR machine and rushed him to a hospital, where he died. Officials believe the cause was not the venom itself, but rather the victim’s allergic reaction.
“It is believed that the hiker had an allergic reaction, however full details of [the] actual cause of death have not been released,” Grundy County Emergency Management Agency Director Matthew Griffith told Fox News.
The agency does not know for certain what type of snake it was, but a timber rattlesnake is suspected, Mr. Griffith told Fox News.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency described the species as “the largest, and the most dangerous, of the 4 venomous snakes in Tennessee.”
“The family of the individual will be in our thoughts and prayers. … it’s strongly recommended to have some kind of first aid supplies while enjoying outdoor recreational activities and be mindful of wildlife and the dangers that some wildlife may pose. If you encounter a snake simply remain calm and do not attempt to handle it,” Mr. Griffith said, according to CBS News.
