Multiple rescue teams searched through dense greenery in the Bear Canyon area of the Angeles National Forest on Monday afternoon for a hiker whose exact location was unknown but who needed immediate assistance after being bitten by a rattlesnake.
The rescue started with a text from a hiker, whose identity was not disclosed, to a family member detailing the bite and the need for support, according to the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Montrose Search and Rescue Team.
Montrose Search and Rescue and the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team were alerted to the victim, who was in the Bear Canyon area but whose exact location was unknown, officials stated.
Hikers into the area often start at the Switzer picnic site in Altadena, which has a trailhead to the Bear Canyon hike-in campground five miles away, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Rescuers searched for the snake-bite victim several ways. Members of Air Rescue 5 with the Sheriff’s Department searched for him from the sky, Montrose Search and Rescue hiked into the canyon on the Switzer Falls Trail from the picnic site, and Altadena Mountain Rescue entered from the Tom Sloan Saddle area, a trail junction.
“Thick tree cover made it difficult for the helicopter crew to see through the canopy, adding another challenge to locating the victim,” officials stated in a post on Facebook.
All three teams spotted the victim at nearly the same time and worked together to quickly assess the hiker, prepared him for transport and assisted Air Rescue 5 to hoist the individual into the air, authorities said.
The hiker was flown to a local hospital for medical care. No details were available Tuesday afternoon on his condition.
Rattlesnake season is well underway in California, typically extending from April to October, and reports of rattlesnake bites are up this season. Usually there’s an average of 290 to 390 bites annually statewide, according to the California Poison Control System.
This year, there have already been 277 bites reported in California, along with multiple deaths.
Among recent bite victims was a 3-year-old Santa Clarita girl who encountered a rattlesnake last month that was hiding underneath an Amazon package in her front yard. She survived with multiple doses of antivenom.
In Northern California, an Idaho man visiting his family in Butte County survived after being bitten twice and hospitalized for 12 days. His treatment involved 54 vials of antivenom.
Officials from the Montrose Search and Rescue reminded hikers to carry a satellite emergency communication device or other GPS messenger capable of sending their exact location.
“In an emergency, knowing where you are can be just as important as knowing what happened,” the rescue team stated. “Providing an accurate GPS location can significantly reduce search time and help rescuers reach you faster.”
