A 25-year-old man is dead after a suspected rattlesnake bite last month in Irvine, prompting warnings from animal control officials in Orange County as rattlesnake activity ramps up across trails and open spaces.
The Orange County Fire Authority responded around 11 a.m. Feb. 1 to the Quail Hill community center area after receiving a report of a possible rattlesnake bite, said Kyle Oldoerp, public information officer for the Irvine Police Department.
“He was riding his bike and stopped to wait for his friend,” Oldoerp said. “He fell into a brush area where the bite occurred.”
Julian Hernandez, 25, was transported to a hospital where he remained until his death several weeks later on March 4. The case was classified as an animal bite but the animal has yet to be recovered, according to Oldoerp.
The death comes as rattlesnakes are beginning to appear on trails across Orange County earlier in the season, according to outdoor enthusiasts and animal control officials.
Greg Hardesty, a longtime trail runner who frequently runs in the foothills of Orange County, said encounters with snakes are a regular part of trail running in the area.
“It’s not uncommon for me to see rattlesnakes because I’m a trail runner in Orange County and I stick to the foothills,” Hardesty said.
Hardesty has been running local trails for about 20 years and says he typically sees snakes several times each year.
However, his most recent encounter came earlier in the year than he usually expects.
Last Wednesday around 11:30 a.m., Hardesty encountered a large rattlesnake while running along a narrow ridge trail in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park near Laguna Beach.
“When I run on trails I’m always looking at the ground because the trails are rocky and you can fall easily,” Hardesty said. “That’s when I saw a large snake that looked like a baseball bat at first.”
He realized it was a rattlesnake when he was about six feet away.
“We had a standoff for about a minute,” he said. “It was kind of looking at me.”
Hardesty waited until the snake moved off the trail before continuing his run.
“They’re not aggressive and they want to be left alone,” he said. “When you hear them rattle it’s a warning sign to stay away.”
Animal control officials say sightings tend to increase as temperatures rise.
“When the weather warms up they’ll come out onto trails in the morning to warm up,” said animal services manager and chief of field services for Mission Viejo Animal Services, Kyle Warner.
Mission Viejo Animal Services provides animal control and sheltering services for five South Orange County cities including Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills and Rancho Santa Margarita.
Officers respond to rattlesnake reports, particularly when snakes appear in yards, homes or other areas where people may be at risk, Warner said.
“That’s a high-priority call and an officer will come out and remove the snake from the area,” he said.
But in many cases, officials say people are most likely to encounter rattlesnakes on trails where the animals naturally live.
“In all of our experience they don’t seek you out or chase you,” Warner said. “They’ll coil up into a striking position and if you give them a wide berth they won’t chase you down the trail.”
As rattlesnake activity increases, awareness is key for hikers, runners and mountain bikers using Orange County’s open space trails.
“It’s important not to run on trails listening to loud music because they’re hidden and you need to hear them rattle,” Hardesty said.
Warner recommends checking outdoor areas carefully before gardening or reaching into brush or firewood piles.
“If you’re gardening or working around wood piles or bushes, check the area first,” he said. “Use a rake to move things around and listen for any rattling.”
Pet owners should keep dogs on leashes to prevent them from investigating bushes where snakes may be hiding, Warner said.
“Call 911 right away if bitten and try to stay calm,” he said. “You don’t want to elevate your heart rate.”
Snakebite deaths remain rare in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, with fewer than 10 deaths annually.
