IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) — The family of a 25-year-old Costa Mesa man is demanding answers after he died following a rattlesnake bite suffered while mountain biking in Irvine.
Julian Hernandez was riding at the Quail Hill Trail in Irvine on Feb. 1 when he stopped near the Quail Hill Community Center to wait for a friend, according to the Irvine Police Department.
Public Information Officer Kyle Oldoerp said Hernandez was bitten after he lost his balance.
“He was adjusting his shoe on his bike, which caused him to fall over into some brush and then it’s our understanding that that’s when the rattlesnake bit him,” Oldoerp said. He added that Hernandez was bitten in the leg.
The Orange County Fire Authority took Hernandez to a hospital by ambulance, where officials told Eyewitness News he was alert. But on March 4 – more than a month later – Hernandez died. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said the coroner ruled his death was caused by an animal bite.
“Death from a rattlesnake bite is extremely rare,” said Dr. William Woo with Kaiser Permanente. He said antivenom is typically used to treat snake bites and is most effective when administered quickly, though complications can still occur.
“A lot of factors matter,” he said. “Your age, location of the bite, how quickly you get care, underlying conditions, but even if all of that is in your favor, it is still a possibility.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that of the 7,000 to 8,000 venomous snake bites in the U.S. each year, only about five people die.
Hernandez’s family expressed frustration in a GoFundMe post, writing, “We are a family that handed our son over to people we trusted and never got him back … We will pursue the truth about what happened to Julian and we will stand up for him.”
Wildlife officials warn that warmer temperatures increase snake activity on trails. Cort Klopping with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife urged outdoor enthusiasts to use caution.
“We do really advise that people stick to the more well-beaten paths and don’t go off of those into a thicker, heavier brush,” Klopping said.
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