SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - California authorities say hikers can learn from the case of a man who died after being bitten by a rattlesnake.
Ross Cooke was out for a short hike Friday. After being bitten, he called his wife and then his boss. He then drove himself 15 minutes to a hospital in San Bernardino County. Had he dialed 911 instead, help would have come from a fire station just a mile away.
The coroner's office says Cooke was alert at Kaiser Hospital, but soon began having neurological problems. He was transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center, which has snake bite experts. But Cooke died three days later.
Authorities say thousands of Americans suffer poisonous snakebites each year. Only about 10 victims die. The coroner says, "Immediate medical care is paramount for any snakebite."
http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0522fatalsnakebite22-ON.html
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:shocked:
Ross Cooke was out for a short hike Friday. After being bitten, he called his wife and then his boss. He then drove himself 15 minutes to a hospital in San Bernardino County. Had he dialed 911 instead, help would have come from a fire station just a mile away.
The coroner's office says Cooke was alert at Kaiser Hospital, but soon began having neurological problems. He was transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center, which has snake bite experts. But Cooke died three days later.
Authorities say thousands of Americans suffer poisonous snakebites each year. Only about 10 victims die. The coroner says, "Immediate medical care is paramount for any snakebite."
http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0522fatalsnakebite22-ON.html
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:shocked:
