College baseball prospect Jake Entrup was bitten by a rattlesnake while hiking the Claremont Wilderness Trail on July 18. He received 20 doses of antivenom at Pomona Valley Trauma Center and 14 more after transfer to LA County General, spending three days in the ICU before being discharged. A nurse on the trail rendered immediate aid, and Entrup urged hikers to stay calm and vigilant. Officials note increased rattlesnake activity in Southern California, linking it to unusually warm weather.
College Baseball Prospect Airlifted After Rattlesnake Bite, Exhausts Local Antivenom Supply
Twenty-two-year-old college baseball prospect Jake Entrup was bitten by a rattlesnake while hiking the Claremont Wilderness Trail on July 18 and required extensive emergency treatment that depleted a local hospital's antivenom supply.
A baseball star primed to play on the college level drained a local hospital of its anti-venom after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a morning hike in Southern California. eyJpdiI6IlluT2M1eFJ6UStrVm1rWTRiWFR5S1E9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiWUtDZjV3NFl3bTJBM0c5am9IYjROQy9vb2pscGQ2ZGRHT2JOelRvMHcwUU56aWFaQUhKVjBLeTQ3dVRtMTdybzc5VmhSbE5qTDVsWUJYSzNRTGJEZ0E9PSIsIm1hYyI6ImUxMTA5ODdlNTM0
Entrup and his mother were hiking with their dogs when he ran ahead, rounded a bend and felt a sharp bite to his leg. "The next thing I know, I got bit. I looked down and I saw the fang marks," Entrup told KTLA. He said he turned back, saw the rattlesnake hiss and slither into the brush, and within minutes his vision blurred.
Avid hiker Jake Entrup and his mom headed to the the Claremont Wilderness Trail on July 18 when a rattler sunk its fangs into the 22-year-old, leading him to be rushes to the hospital. KTLA
"I did turn around. I saw the snake. It kind of hissed at me and slithered off into the bush." — Jake Entrup
A nurse who happened to be on the trail provided first aid. Entrup was airlifted to Pomona Valley Trauma Center, where clinicians administered 20 doses of antivenom. When the hospital's remaining supply could not meet his continuing needs, he was transferred by ambulance to LA County General and given 14 additional doses, according to a GoFundMe account set up by the family.
Entrup spent three days in the ICU before he was finally released from the hospital.
Entrup spent three days in the intensive care unit before being discharged. Friends and family say he had been working double shifts to pay for school and will be unable to work while he recovers.
In Southern California, there had been more than 250 rattlesnake bites as of early July, with three fatalities reported. eyJpdiI6Imx2RlFNYkpWSjBNeHplTUg3am0vZFE9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiUUFzNGhzb0E2WUl1RHNOeGVBM251ZEJ3UkhhclE3MFptUDU3K01aTE0zWHAxVGsySXVKamZtVndpdG95K0tSUExZVkJwQlpKdUVrMHU1NlhQUktVdGc9PSIsIm1hYyI6ImZkMzc3YzBlMzU1
Raised in an area where rattlesnakes are common, Entrup urged fellow hikers to stay alert. "I would be very cautious of your surroundings," he said. "In the moment, it can seem scary, but you want to keep yourself as calm as possible."
Public Health Context
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 7,000–8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States each year. Local officials reported more than 250 rattlesnake bites in Southern California as of early July, including three fatalities. Wildlife authorities have linked increased snake activity this year to unseasonably warm weather.
"Snakes do enjoy being out in warmer temperatures, so any time the temperature rises is a time where increased snake activity is likely." — Cort Klopping, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Entrup's case drew attention both for the severity of his injuries and for the volume of antivenom required, underscoring the importance of rapid medical care after venomous bites and the potential strain on local medical supplies.
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