LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A venomous snake bit a man in Bankhead National Forest Thursday evening, authorities say.
On Thursday, September 4, around 3:00 p.m., the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office was notified via 911 of a venomous snake bite incident near the “Big Tree” in Bankhead National Forest.
LCSO said the multi-agency search and rescue team was sent out there. Upon arrival, deputies met with a family member of the victim who had hiked out to call for help.
SAR Team Leader Lt. Long, who is EMT-certified, along with other members of the Sheriff’s Office SAR team, hiked into the forest and located the patient, a male in his early 30s, who was experiencing symptoms including vomiting, swelling, and abdominal pain resulting from a snake bite to the lower leg. An IV was started, and initial medications were administered on site.
ALEA Aviation provided air support for communication between the SAR team and the command center. However, ALEA’s extraction helicopter was unavailable due to maintenance. Additional personnel were paged to assist in the complex rescue operation, which was further complicated by nightfall and the rugged terrain.
The patient was successfully extricated from the forest around 11:00 p.m. and transferred to an emergency helicopter, which transported him to a local hospital for further treatment.
There is no word on the victim’s condition at this time.
The following agencies helped with the operation:
Lawrence County 911 Central Dispatch
Lawrence County EMS (Greg’s)
Huntsville Cave Rescue Unit
Mount Hope Fire Department
Winston County Sheriff’s Office
Ash Ridge Fire and Rescue
Haleyville Search and Rescue
Lawrence County Rescue Squad
Huntsville Hospital Trauma Team
Alabama Trauma Communications Center (TCC)
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