A Winder, Ga., man died over the weekend after a rattlesnake bit him while he was hunting in Oglethorpe County with his grandson.
Dick Rupert, 68, was climbing down from a tree stand in the woods off Thaxton Wynne Road about 7:30 a.m. Saturday when a rattlesnake bit him in the calf, Oglethorpe County Coroner James Mathews said.
Rupert died at Wills Memorial Hospital in Washington about an hour later, Mathews said.
Rupert's 12-year-old grandson tried to drive him back to the road on a four-wheeler, but the victim passed out and fell off twice, Mathews said.
Rupert's grandson and his son, who was hunting nearby, dragged him to the road, and he was unresponsive when Oglethorpe EMS workers arrived at 7:44 a.m., Mathews said.
"The grandson was doing CPR when our crew got there," Mathews said. "But Mr. Rupert was already in full cardiac arrest."
The puncture marks on Rupert's calf barely were visible, said Assistant Coroner Howard Sanders.
Thaxton Wynne Road runs between U.S. Highway 78 and Georgia Highway 22 about seven miles southeast of Lexington, not far from the Wilkes County border.
Timber rattlesnakes are the most common in the wooded area, said John Willson, a snake researcher at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Lab. But timber rattlesnake bites rarely are deadly, he said.
"Most venomous species in the Southeast, you can recover if you make it to a hospital within two to three hours," Willson said.
While about 8,000 people get bitten by venomous snakes in the United States each year, only about 10 die, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Deaths in the Southeast are incredibly rare, but they can happen," Willson said.
Bites vary in severity depending on the snake, he said. Snakes can control how much venom they inject.
"It all depends on the circumstances," Willson said. "He could have had a particularly bad reaction. Sometimes, the reaction can be worse than the bite itself."
While Mathews will not order an autopsy, he suspects that Rupert died of such a reaction. Rupert had a history of high blood pressure, he said.
"Lots of times snake bites speed up other problems," Mathews said. "Whatever it may have been, the immediate cause was the snake bite."
Rupert is the second person in Georgia to die of a rattlesnake bite this year.
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I wonder if people will speak out in support of rattlesnake control after this hunting accident.
Just wondering if the the elder Mr. Rupert was wearing snake boots or leggings? All you hunters be careful, the weather conditions this summer in the south have been ideal for snake activity..My thoughts and prayers go out for this man and his family....
obviously last week was not a good time for grandfathers and grandsons to be out hunting.
Always wear your helmet and never shoot a deer with a saddle on it.
Nature bites back.
a very sad accident. a very rare occurence, too.
what a traumatic ordeal for his grandson; our thoughts and prayers are with this family.
WhippingPost, that was an ignorant comment. This is rare and a horrible accident. I feel so bad for the boys involved.
This was a tragic accident and unfortunately one that could not have been avoided. Every precaution that could have been taken would not have prevented this.
Actions have consequences and when reckless people engage in risky activities they only increase the severity of their consequences.
Definitely a tragedy there, but what stood out to me was the remarkable maturity of his grandson....he apparently had the presence of mind to try and get his grandfather to help immediately, put him back on the 4-wheeler a couple of times when he fell off, and was performing CPR when the EMTs got there. Very impressive for a 12 year old.
Unusual event. Grandpa and grandson went out to practice the ancient art of blood spilling but mother nature turned the table on them.
gaspringwater is an idiot.
unfortunatly BIG O....walking out your front/side/back door to go to work can find you struck in the calf by a rattler or moccosin, getting in your car..or just walking in your home. As we remove habitat, creatures adapt, and find ways of existing.
My husband found a copperhead in our back yard. We were practicing the ancient art of yard work. Where do people come up with this crazy stuff?
corgimom - You're an inspiration! Practicing an ancient art, and nurturing mother nature instead of just killing her creatures. And I'm sure you've always known flower beds are home to snakes and frogs.
We don't have flower beds in our back yard.
dashiel: "Always wear your helmet and never shoot a deer with a saddle on it." And your point is???????????? I would think you would have at least made a decent comment about how the grandson tried to save his grandfather--at least he showed more maturity than your comment reflects.
The Big O and gaspringwater must be roommates at the asylum. The best thing that could happen to those two is they get bitten by a rattlesnake on both hands and are never able to type again.
Once again idiots post bs on a sad story. Dumbas idiots
It would seem that gaspringwater may have shigella...given the viral gastroenteritis that spews forth with every post.
I am not an expert but am wondering if "dragging him to the road could have contributed to a quicker death?
Would it have been better to have stablilzed him, used a spint, and waited for the emt?
Maybe there is an expert on these things out there who can post what would have been the best choice.
Prayers are with the family. The son and the grandson esp.
what is a dumbas? is this a type of african drum used in voodoo practices? some kind of marsupial-type animal that is a nocturnal feeder? a new dance dreamed up for the insipid DWTS show? just wondering. i do know what a [filtered word] is, but not a dumbas and would like the definition clarified so i don't ever use the word in the wrong context.
Well SA Spurs I was trying to bypass the Chronicle Removed for Violation police you [filtered word]
storiesihaveread....Good one...I've gotten removed for less. When we lose someone we love it's tragic no matter what the circumstances. This man has a remarkable grandson who made every effort to save his grandfather. The world should have more young people like this....that even spend time with their grandparents. My prayers to the family!
Jillian, when a 69 year old man gets bitten in the leg and dies an hour later, nothing would've helped. He was unresponsive 15 minutes after the bite. He had a very severe reaction and there was no best choice.
It amazes me the number of crass, insensitive posters on this forum who feel it so necessary to post irrelavent and hurtful comments that can be seen by those people who are hurting emotionally. They are also the ones who cry loudest when they are offended. My prayers are with this grandfathers family.