A hiker died in Tennessee’s Savage Gulf State Park after being bitten by a venomous snake, officials said Thursday.
Grundy County Emergency Management Agency personnel were dispatched to a trailhead in the park around 12:30 p.m. local time on August 8, agency director Matthew Griffith told CBS News in a statement. The unidentified hiker was about half a mile down the trail when first responders, including fire and rescue workers, EMS members and park rangers, arrived.
Griffith said a witness reported the man had picked up a snake, and the reptile then bit him on the hand. The snake is believed to be a timber rattlesnake, Griffith said.
The hiker was transported to an area hospital, Griffith said, and died from his injuries there.
Griffith said the hiker appeared to have died from an allergic reaction, but said the hiker’s full cause of death has yet to be released.
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“The family of the individual will be in our thoughts and prayers,” Griffith said. “As always 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. If bitten seek immediate medical attention.”
Timber rattlesnakes are the largest and most dangerous of the four species of venomous snakes in Tennessee, according to the state’s Wildlife Resources Agency. Timber rattlesnakes average between 3 and 5 feet long, and have flat heads that are wider than their necks, the agency said. The snakes are gray, yellow or green-white with dark bands and a rust-colored stripe in the middle of their back. The snakes can be found across the state and tend to prefer mature, heavily wooded forests with rocky hillsides and can often be spotted near fallen logs or sunning on rocks.
Timber rattlesnakes tend to prey on small rodents, the agency said. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute said the species is “more docile than other members of its family” and is likely to go motionless if encountered in the wild. Bites from timber rattlesnakes are rare, the zoo said.
In most cases, rattlesnake bites are not fatal, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Less than 1 in 600 bites result in death, the agency said.
Savage Gulf State Park contains about 60 miles of hiking trails, according to Tennessee State Parks. The park contains scenic wilderness areas, waterfalls and deep gulfs. It is located about 95 miles from Nashville.
