[Update] Rattlesnake Bite Reported at Spyrock School North of Laytonville, Air Ambulance En Route

Rattlesnake [Image from the Department of Fish and Wildlife]

Laytonville EMS responded to the call, and a REACH air ambulance crew was dispatched, choosing to self-land at the Spyrock landing zone due to the travel time it would take ground crews to reach the remote area. The helicopter had an estimated arrival time of 14 minutes, though the ETA was updated to indicate the air ambulance would arrive at the scene around 9:31 p.m.

No information on the patient’s age, gender, condition, or the location of the bite was available as of this report.

While rattlesnakes are often associated with daytime activity, warm summer temperatures typically push them toward dawn, dusk, and nighttime movement instead, as they avoid overheating during the hottest parts of the day. The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is the only rattlesnake species found in this part of Northern California, according to John Delgado, who has worked relocating rattlesnakes in Mendocino County for years and spoke to the Mendocino Voice earlier this year. Delgado noted the snakes favor sun-warmed, rocky terrain, and that people should learn to distinguish rattlesnakes from harmless gopher snakes, which are frequently mistaken for them and killed unnecessarily.

Rattlesnake bites in California are uncommon but not rare, with roughly 300 reported annually to the California Poison Control System statewide. Bites are rarely fatal thanks to the effectiveness of antivenom treatment, though a Redwood Valley snakebite death earlier this year prompted renewed caution among Mendocino County residents.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Update 9:21 p.m.: Scanner traffic now indicates Reach 35 is approximately 25 minutes away, placing the ETA at 9:46 p.m.

Update 10:12 p.m.: The patient, a 49-year-old male with a rattlesnake bite to the hand, has been transferred to a Mendocino County hospital for treatment. All units have been released from the incident.