Deputies airlift rattlesnake-bitten camper from remote Arizona site

Body-camera footage shows two Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies racing to aid a camper who reported a rattlesnake bite roughly 30 minutes before their arrival. The man exhibited escalating symptoms, including vomiting, convulsions and intense muscle spasms, leading deputies to coach him on slow breathing and to keep his heart rate down. Because the remote terrain hindered ground transport, the deputies prepared a safe zone for a helicopter.

The air ambulance lifted the victim to a Phoenix-area hospital, where he received treatment for four days and was later discharged to continue recovery at home. The sheriff’s office praised the deputies’ adaptability, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture reminded the public to stay calm and keep the bite area below heart level. A biology professor linked the incident to an early-season heat wave that may be prompting rattlesnakes to emerge sooner.