Hiker suffering from copperhead snake bite located, rescued by Powell County officials

POWELL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW via LEX NEWS) – A hiker suffering from a copperhead snake bite was located and rescued by the Powell County Search & Rescue team and Powell County EMS early Saturday morning, according to a social media post.

The post by Powell County Search & Rescue stated that the team along with Powell County EMS were dispatched to a reported snakebite on Tunnel Ridge Road around 1 a.m. Saturday. The caller told emergency services they had been hiking on the Auxier Ridge Trail when they were bitten by a copperhead on their right ankle.

With collaboration between EMS, the search and rescue team, and Powell County 911 Dispatch, the hiker was located and rescued around half a mile into the Double Arch Trail. The hiker was ultimately transferred to a nearby hospital for further treatment.

“As a reminder, if you experience a snakebite in the wilderness, remain calm, move a safe distance away from the snake, dial 911 and stay on the line until emergency personnel reach you,” Powell County Search & Rescue wrote on its social media post.