How a day of fishing turned into a race against time.
By Aaron Grabiel, Guide and Owner of Harvest Wild
A mission changed from chasing big brown trout to getting to the ER ASAP when Aaron was bitten by a rattlesnake while guiding a fishing trip on a remote stretch of the McCloud River in Northern California. This first-person account of the experience, combined with wilderness first aid training, aims to help you stay safer in the wild.
ANOTHER ORDINARY DAY, UNTIL IT WASN’T
It was a scorching week, and the snakes were out in force. My three clients and I had already encountered three Northern Pacific rattlesnakes on our hike. While it wasn’t unusual—I’ve seen up to seven in a day—most of them usually just want to get away from you as much as you want to avoid them. This snake was no different. It wasn’t being aggressive; it was hiding under a bush a few feet away, completely silent.
I was going slow, pausing to scan a tailout, hoping to spot a large brown trout in the shallow water. As I took a few more steps, trying to get a better vantage point of the river through the trees, the snake made its move for thicker cover, darting across the trail right in front of my foot. In the blink of an eye, my momentum carried my left foot over the snake, leaving it between my legs. Not an ideal situation, to say the least. As my right foot passed over the snake, it felt threatened, recoiled back, and struck my shin just above my wading boot. It was 1:50 pm.
Unfortunately, like many animals, rattlesnakes can become very dangerous when feeling cornered. My guess is that is why it struck. Given the extreme heat that week, I was wet-wading in quick-dry pants and neoprene wading socks. Initially, the bite felt like someone flicked my boot, and I wasn’t sure it had bitten me until I saw blood dripping from my shin.
After shouting a few choice obscenities, Jason, the caretaker of the Conservancy, who had been maintaining the trail nearby and helping motivate my clients to set quickly on every twitch of their indicators, heard my yell and quickly came over. We both recognized the gravity of the situation and knew I needed to get to my truck immediately. Jason instructed the clients on what they needed to do and then caught up with me as I began the 2.4-mile hike back to the truck.
The hike, though not unbearable, was painful, and what is usually routine for me was more labored for sure. Anyone who has fished with me knows I keep a fast pace on the trail, but with a snake bite, it’s important to minimize blood flow to keep the venom from spreading. It was difficult to temper my pace while racing against the clock. By the time we reached the truck about 40 minutes later, my body felt like pins and needles, and the pain of the venom was creeping up my leg with every step. Interestingly, I had a metallic taste in my mouth. Once we had service, we called ahead to the emergency room to alert them of my arrival and confirm they had antivenom.
With Jason driving, we made it to Mercy Mount Shasta by around 3:30 p.m. The medical team took my vitals, measured my leg, and started blood work. The swelling prompted them to administer one round of Anavip antivenom (five vials) and keep me in the ICU for 24 hours. My leg was very tender all the way up to my hip and it swelled up to just below the knee. It took about ten days to feel mostly normal again. The only lasting effects seem to be the scales I’ve started sprouting and my newfound ability to see infrared (just kidding!).
WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE BITTEN BY A RATTLESNAKE
- Always have an evacuation plan before going into the wilderness.
- Control your heart rate and avoid panic. You must keep your shit together. Panic is the number one killer in all wilderness situations. Just start saying to yourself, “Okay, I got bit, now I need to…”
- Don’t use a tourniquet, and take off anything that could restrict blood flow, like a watch or rings.
- Do not attempt to cut larger holes to try to suck out the venom. Snake bite kits are generally useless; some professionals say they can be dangerous.
- Use a Sharpie or pen to circle the bite and write the time of the bite. Every 30-60 minutes, circle the swelling to track its progression. This can help you get treatment faster at the ER.
- Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Go straight to the ER or call for evacuation.
Modern iPhones have a Satellite SOS feature, and I recommend carrying an InReach mini for emergency contact.
Thank you to Jason Kash for your help and Dustin for the NA beer and scratcher.
Stay safe out there!
