Colleton County, S.C. (WLTX) - A South Carolina man is in critical condition after he was bitten twice by a rattlesnake that fell onto him while he was paddling on a river.
Colleton County Fire-Rescue says the 28-year-old was with some friends kayaking on the Edisto River Saturday when the snake dropped from a tree. The animal then bit the man twice on the hand.
His friends were able to capture the snake and take the man him back to what's known as Bobcat Lane, where they then called 911.
Medics arrived 12 minutes later and began treating the man. He was then taken to Colleton Medical Center, where they had anti-venom on hand. But paramedics say while being transported to the medical facility, his condition got worse.
The hospital next put him in the ICU. A day later, he was taken o the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston for treatment.
Rattlesnake bites are extremely painful and can lead to medical problems, but aren't often fatal, if properly treated.
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