A Malibu resident found a young woman, who stumbled out of the bushes on Piuma Road on Thursday, caked in mud and with a snake bite that left her arm so swollen it traumatized her rescuer.
The 24-year-old victim, who is from Italy, was left by traveling companions in the canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains on Monday, March 25. They took her passport and other belongings, leaving her to find her way out on her own, according to what the victim told the resident and authorities. She survived the three days by drinking creek water.
The victim was driven to Fire Station 67 by the resident and was immediately airlifted to UCLA Medical Center, where she is being treated for snakebite and dehydration. L.A. County firefighter Mike Brown confirmed that the victim was airlifted at noon to the medical center. The Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s station did not have any information about the incident.
The victim, who does not want to be identified, was in critical condition and may lose her arm. One finger and part of her hand were amputated, said the resident, and she is now in stable condition.
The resident said that hospital doctors were surprised that there was a victim of snake bite this early in the year.
However, snake season is almost here, said Sgt. Frank Bongiorno of L.A. County Animal Control. From this time of year until October, Bongiorno said, the Agoura Animal Shelter receives up to three to five calls a day about snakes from surrounding areas, including Agoura, the Santa Monica Mountains and Thousand Oaks, during snake season.
Bongiorno recommends that people who hike a lot wear protective boots and even chaps.
“People need to be aware that most rattlesnakes do not rattle before they bite,” he said. “It’s not like in the movies.
“People need to be aware of their surroundings,” he added. “[Rattlesnakes] are very good at blending in to their surroundings.”
As to what a person should do if bitten, Bongiorno said, “Hopefully, people are carrying cell phones nowadays” to call for help, as “you want to have as little movement as possible. You don’t want to run — it makes the poison move through the system faster.”
Bongiorno also cautioned not to go by coloring to determine if a snake is a rattler. A rattlesnake has a diamond- or triangular-shaped head that is two to three times wider than the neck.
Baby rattlesnakes can be more dangerous than adult rattlers, said Bongiorno.
“Adults are usually easier to spot and won’t usually bite people unless bothered,” he said.
The young rattlers are six inches long, are born live, and have no rattle. Also, “adults know you’re not something to eat; they will dry bite,” added Bongiorno. “[The] young don’t know, and will inject all their venom” when they bite.