Rare death by rattlesnake bite in Orange County highlights hidden danger on SoCal trails

"He was riding his bike and stopped to wait for his friend. 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."

"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 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."

"When I run on trails I'm always looking at the ground because the trails are rocky and you can fall easily. 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."

Julian Hernandez, 25, died on March 4 after suffering a suspected rattlesnake bite on February 1 in the Quail Hill community center area of Irvine. He fell into a brush area while waiting for a friend during a bike ride. The animal responsible has not been recovered. Rattlesnake encounters are becoming more frequent and occurring earlier in the season across Orange County. Trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts report regular snake sightings in foothills and wilderness areas. Greg Hardesty, a 20-year trail runner, typically encounters snakes several times yearly but recently spotted one earlier than his usual pattern.

Read at Los Angeles Times