A promising baseball player preparing for the next step in his college career ended up using an entire local hospital’s supply of antivenom after a rattlesnake bite during a morning hike in Southern California.
Jake Entrup, a 22-year-old avid hiker, was on the Claremont Wilderness Trail with his mother on July 18 when the outing took a frightening turn and he had to be rushed for emergency treatment.
Entrup said he had moved ahead of his mom with one of their two dogs when he rounded a bend and was suddenly struck in the leg by the rattlesnake.
Speaking with KTLA, Entrup recalled realizing almost immediately that he had been bitten after looking down and spotting the fang marks on his leg.
He said he turned back and saw the rattlesnake nearby before it hissed and disappeared into the brush.
Within minutes, the situation became even more alarming, with Entrup saying his vision deteriorated so quickly that he could not see his own hand in front of his face.
Fortunately for Entrup, who recently committed to play college baseball, a nurse happened to be on the trail and stepped in to help, according to a GoFundMe campaign created by his family.
He was airlifted to Pomona Valley Trauma Center, where he received 20 doses of anti-venom.
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“When the hospital’s supply could not support Jake’s needs for more, he was transferred by ambulance to LA County General, where he received 14 additional doses,” the fundraiser read.
Entrup spent three days in the ICU before he was finally released from the hospital.
He said he had been working double shifts to pay for his college tuition because he was about to start grad school in the fall.
After the emergency, friends said he won’t be able to work over the next few weeks while he recovers.
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Even though he and his family are familiar with rattlesnakes in the area, Entrup sent a message to other hikers about the experience, warning them to be alert.
“I would be very cautious of your surroundings,” Entrup said. “In the moment, it can seem scary, but you want to keep yourself as calm as possible.”
Between 7,000 and 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes, including rattlesnakes, in the US every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Southern California, there had been more than 250 rattlesnake bites as of early July, with three fatalities reported.
One of the reasons given for the increase snake sightings earlier this year was the unseasonably warm weather.
“Snakes do enjoy being out in warmer temperatures, so any time the temperature rises is a time where increased snake activity is likely,” Cort Klopping with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Klopping previously told The Post.
