Hiker dies after rattlesnake bites him as he picks it up, Tennessee officials say

A hiker died after he picked up a rattlesnake and was bitten on the hand in a state park in Tennessee, authorities said.

Emergency personnel received a call the afternoon of Aug. 8 that a man was bitten by a venomous snake about half a mile from the south trailhead of Savage Gulf State Park, according to the Grundy County Emergency Management Association.

The hiker went off the trail and found the snake, believed to be a timber rattlesnake, a spokesperson for the agency said. Then as he tried picking it up, it bit his hand.

Park rangers, fire rescue and emergency medical personnel responded and found the hiker already having a severe reaction, then they began performing CPR on the man while they transported him to a hospital, officials said.

A local volunteer firefighter drove to the man’s home and brought his spouse to the hospital, according to Grundy County EMA.

The man died of complications from the bite, and the cause of death is believed to be an allergic reaction, the spokesperson said.

Fatal rattlesnake bites are rare, with only about 1 in 600 resulting in death, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

“Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing,” according to wildlife officials. “The majority of snakebites occur on the hands, feet and ankles.”

The trailhead is in Gruetli-Laager, about a 40-mile drive northwest from Chattanooga.

This story was originally published August 12, 2025 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Hiker dies after rattlesnake bites him as he picks it up, Tennessee officials say."