A hiker died after a rattlesnake bit his hand when he picked up the reptile while on a trail in south-central Tennessee, local officials said.
Around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, rescue crews were called to a trailhead at the Savage Gulf State Park in Grundy County, about two hours southeast of Nashville, according to Matthew Griffith, the director of the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency.
When rescuers found the hiker, they immediately began CPR, which they continued until he was eventually hooked up to a mobile CPR machine, Griffith said. The man was then rushed to a hospital, where he later died, likely from an allergic reaction to the snake's venom, he added. However, the official cause of death has not been released yet.
The snake that bit the hiker was likely a timber rattlesnake, reported The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency says their habitats include mature and heavily wooded forests with rocky hillsides, bluffs or ledges.
Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
