A Tennessee hiker died after picking up a snake. What was it? Are they in Indiana?
The Tennessean reported that rescue crews were called to a trailhead at the Savage Gulf State Park in Grundy County at around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, Matthew Griffith, the director of the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency, said.
Grundy County is about six-and-a-half hours southeast of Indianapolis on Interstate 65.
The man was rushed to a hospital, where he later likely died from an allergic reaction to the snake's venom, the agency said.
Here's what to know about rattlesnakes in Indiana and what to do if you find yourself bitten.
There are two species of rattlesnakes found in Indiana: The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes and Timber Rattlesnakes, which is believed to be the type of snake that bit the hiker in Tennessee.
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes are a small to medium sized rattlesnake, with adults typically reaching lengths of approximately 18 to 30 inches. It is usually a gray snake with brown blotches, but can also appear almost completely black, with a black rattle on its tail.
The Eastern Massasauga in Indiana is rare and populations are limited to the northern half of the state. It is listed as an endangered species in Indiana and is Federally threatened.
Story continues after photo gallery.
Timber Rattlesnakes typically reach lengths of 2.5-5 feet, but there are reports of timber rattlesnakes growing up to 7 feet long. They are a heavy-bodied snake with a chevron pattern with a black tail and rattle.
Timber Rattlesnakes in Indiana are found mostly in the south-central portion of the Hoosier State, mainly in the rugged forests of Brown County and nearby areas. Their range and populations have decreased significantly, with only a few small populations remaining, according to the Hoosier Herpetological Society.
Like all rattlesnakes, their bites are venomous and can be lethal if not properly treated.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, Indiana is home to 32 native snake species, but only four of those are venomous.
The four venmous snakes found in Indiana are:
If you or someone with you is bitten by a snake, call 911 immediately, especially if the bitten area changes color, swells or is painful, the Mayo Clinic said.
While waiting for help, the Mayo Clinic recommends doing these steps:
Between 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About five people die from venomous snake bites in the United States each year, the CDC added, warning that the number would be higher if those bitten did not seek medical treatment.
Globally, around 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes per year, with around 80,000 to 137,000 dying from bites, the World Health Organization reports.
Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
CDC gives inside look of damage from shooting
Staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave perspective from inside headquarters on the frightening day when a shooter opened fire. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Jeff Williams, CDC director of security, showed Channel 2's Michael Doudna the shattered windows and glass that went flying as employees took cover Aug. 8. There is still damage, reminders left from the day nearly two weeks ago. The shooter was at the nearby CVS when he aimed at the CDC and fired hundreds of rounds. 'He found a location where he had a good visual of CDC facilities and potentially CDC staff,' Williams said. The blast-resistant glass, installed after the Oklahoma City bombings, helped prevent more extensive damage. First responders went floor by floor, marking doors as clear to ensure everyone was safe. People can see what they did in the aftermath of the shooting, busting down the doors, going room to room. Mona Patel, who has since returned to the office, noted the difficulty of seeing broken glass on colleagues' desks. 'I think we're resilient. I believe we're here to support one another,' Patel expressed, highlighting the community's strength. Repairs are currently underway at the guard house, with similar repairs expected for all six buildings that were hit. DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was killed when he responded to the active shooter call. His public memorial service is scheduled for Friday. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
CDC shooter may have tried to enter campus two days before attack
Federal agencies Crime Gun violenceFacebookTweetLink Follow The man who fired more than 500 rounds at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appears to have tried to get onto the agency's campus two days before the August 8 shooting, according to an agency email obtained by CNN. During the investigation, the CDC's Office of Safety, Security, and Asset Management and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation discovered video footage that shows a man resembling the shooter, Patrick Joseph White, trying to enter the CDC's main campus on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 6. He tried to enter the campus at the first guard station but was turned away by CDC security 'without incident.' The shooter did not attempt to enter the campus on Friday, August 8, prior to the attack, the email said. 'The video evidence does not 100% confirm the person's identity,' the email reads, but authorities believe the likelihood that it's White is very high. According to the email, which was sent to employees by Jeff Williams, CDC's head of security, it's not uncommon for shooters to 'probe' or scout a scene before an attack. 'This is an understandably distressing development, and we want to emphasize that CDC security measures were effective,' the email said. The agency email was first reported by STAT and Atlanta's 11Alive News. Before the shooting, White, 30, broke into his father's safe and took five guns. He killed DeKalb County Police Office David Rose and sprayed several agency buildings with bullets as employees were preparing to leave campus for the weekend. Instead, employees described taking cover under their desks as bullets whizzed over their heads. One staffer later said in an all-hands meeting that they felt like 'sitting ducks.' In the aftermath of the attack, CDC staff said they were not surprised to have become the targets of a violent attack after being smeared by federal officials as corrupt. On Wednesday, more than 750 HHS employees sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. imploring them to stop spreading false information about vaccines and denigrating public health workers. The letter, also addressed to members of Congress, noted 'the violent August 8th attack on CDC's headquarters in Atlanta was not random.' The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that the shooter had expressed discontent with the Covid-19 vaccine and wanted to make his distrust known. An HHS spokesperson provided a statement from the department in response to the letter saying Kennedy 'is standing firmly with CDC employees – both on the ground and across every center – ensuring their safety and well-being remain a top priority. In the wake of this heartbreaking shooting, he traveled to Atlanta to offer his support and reaffirm his deep respect, calling the CDC 'a shining star among global health agencies.'' The statement continued on to say that 'for the first time in its 70-year history, the mission of HHS is truly resonating with the American people – driven by President Trump and Secretary Kennedy's bold commitment to Make America Healthy Again. Any attempt to conflate widely supported public health reforms with the violence of a suicidal mass shooter is an attempt to politicize a tragedy.' In an additional blow, roughly 600 CDC staff who had been placed on administrative leave earlier this year began received official termination notices this week. On Thursday, the CDC's Union said it had not been given advanced notice of the terminations and didn't have a full list of the programs affected. Some of the terminated staffers worked in the CDC's Division of Violence Prevention. 'The cruel decision to move forward with these unlawful separations immediately after a violent attack on campus contradicts their stated commitments to promote the recovery of CDC staff and undermines the stability of our Agency. The decision to compound this trauma is not an oversight: this was a shameful, active choice. It must be reversed,' according to a statement from the American Federation of Government Employees, local 2883. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the AFGE's statement.
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
CDC shooter may have tried to enter campus two days before attack
The man who fired more than 500 rounds at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appears to have tried to get onto the agency's campus two days before the August 8 shooting, according to an agency email obtained by CNN. During the investigation, the CDC's Office of Safety, Security, and Asset Management and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation discovered video footage that shows a man resembling the shooter, Patrick Joseph White, trying to enter the CDC's main campus on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 6. He tried to enter the campus at the first guard station but was turned away by CDC security 'without incident.' The shooter did not attempt to enter the campus on Friday, August 8, prior to the attack, the email said. 'The video evidence does not 100% confirm the person's identity,' the email reads, but authorities believe the likelihood that it's White is very high. According to the email, which was sent to employees by Jeff Williams, CDC's head of security, it's not uncommon for shooters to 'probe' or scout a scene before an attack. 'This is an understandably distressing development, and we want to emphasize that CDC security measures were effective,' the email said. The agency email was first reported by STAT and Atlanta's 11Alive News. Before the shooting, White, 30, broke into his father's safe and took five guns. He killed DeKalb County Police Office David Rose and sprayed several agency buildings with bullets as employees were preparing to leave campus for the weekend. Instead, employees described taking cover under their desks as bullets whizzed over their heads. One staffer later said in an all-hands meeting that they felt like 'sitting ducks.' In the aftermath of the attack, CDC staff said they were not surprised to have become the targets of a violent attack after being smeared by federal officials as corrupt. On Wednesday, more than 750 HHS employees sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. imploring them to stop spreading false information about vaccines and denigrating public health workers. The letter, also addressed to members of Congress, noted 'the violent August 8th attack on CDC's headquarters in Atlanta was not random.' The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that the shooter had expressed discontent with the Covid-19 vaccine and wanted to make his distrust known. An HHS spokesperson provided a statement from the department in response to the letter saying Kennedy 'is standing firmly with CDC employees – both on the ground and across every center – ensuring their safety and well-being remain a top priority. In the wake of this heartbreaking shooting, he traveled to Atlanta to offer his support and reaffirm his deep respect, calling the CDC 'a shining star among global health agencies.'' The statement continued on to say that 'for the first time in its 70-year history, the mission of HHS is truly resonating with the American people – driven by President Trump and Secretary Kennedy's bold commitment to Make America Healthy Again. Any attempt to conflate widely supported public health reforms with the violence of a suicidal mass shooter is an attempt to politicize a tragedy.' In an additional blow, roughly 600 CDC staff who had been placed on administrative leave earlier this year began received official termination notices this week. On Thursday, the CDC's Union said it had not been given advanced notice of the terminations and didn't have a full list of the programs affected. Some of the terminated staffers worked in the CDC's Division of Violence Prevention. 'The cruel decision to move forward with these unlawful separations immediately after a violent attack on campus contradicts their stated commitments to promote the recovery of CDC staff and undermines the stability of our Agency. The decision to compound this trauma is not an oversight: this was a shameful, active choice. It must be reversed,' according to a statement from the American Federation of Government Employees, local 2883. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the AFGE's statement.
