Rare death by rattlesnake bite in Orange County highlights hidden danger on SoCal trails

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A 25-year-old man is dead after a suspected rattlesnake bite last month in Irvine, prompting warnings from animal control officials in Orange County as rattlesnake activity ramps up across trails and open spaces.The Orange County Fire Authority responded around 11 a.m.Feb.

1 to the Quail Hill community center area after receiving a report of a possible rattlesnake bite, said Kyle Oldoerp, public information officer for the Irvine Police Department.“He was riding his bike and stopped to wait for his friend,” Oldoerp said.“He fell into a brush area where the bite occurred.”Julian Hernandez, 25, was transported to a hospital where he remained until his death several weeks later on March 4.

The case was classified as an animal bite but the animal has yet to be recovered, according to Oldoerp.The death comes as rattlesnakes are beginning to appear on trails across Orange County earlier in the season, according to outdoor enthusiasts and animal control officials.Greg Hardesty, a longtime trail runner who frequently runs in the foothills of Orange County, said encounters with snakes are a regular part of trail running in the area.“It’s not uncommon for me to see rattlesnakes because I’m a trail runner in Orange County and I stick to the foothills,” Hardesty said.Hardesty has been running local trails for about 20 years and says he typically sees snakes several times each year.However, his most recent encounter came earlier in the year than he usually expects.

California A SoCal hiker said she thankfully remembered what to do when she encountered the puma — yelling, facing the cat, trying to look big — until it ran off.Last Wednesday around 11:30 a.m., Hardesty encountered a large rattlesnake while running along a narrow ridge trail in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park near Laguna Beach.“When I run on trails I’m always looking at the ground because the trai...