Snake Bite LA County 2012

At approximately 1115 hours a crewmember was bitten by a rattlesnake while swinging his McLeod in the grass. The crewmember was reportedly using his gloved right hand to reach down into thick grass to pull some grass out of the way, when a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake struck his right index finger. The crewmember withdrew his hand quickly, but the snake remained on his finger. During a reflexive attempt to remove the snake from his finger with his left hand, the snake bit his left middle finger. First aid was administered immediately, and the snake was destroyed. The body of the snake was saved for identification purposes at the hospital. The Fire Crew Supervisor drove the crew to the nearby Dalton Hotshot Station to rendezvous with Engine 97 & Squad 32. As the crew was driving, the crewmember attempted to suck venom out of his own finger causing numbness to his mouth. The crewmember was transported via ALS to Foothill Presbyterian Hospital.