THE INDEPENDENT – A hiker who died of a snake bite in a scenic state park in Tennessee made one fatal mistake: he reportedly picked up the venomous reptile.
The man, who has not been identified, was just half a mile down a trailhead at Savage Gulf State Park when first responders arrived at about 12.30 p.m. last Friday, according to the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency.
After life-saving efforts administered by rescue workers, the man was transferred to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
A representative for Grundy County EMA said the hiker was likely bitten by a timber rattlesnake, a highly venomous species found in the eastern U.S.
Witnesses who spoke to first responders said they saw the hiker pick up the snake, which bit him on the hand, Matthew Griffith of the Grundy County EMA told ABC News Channel 9.
The man was believed to have died of an allergic reaction, though the full cause of death has yet to be released.
