Just after sunset on August 18th, a woman camping along the Colorado River with a commercial river trip was bitten twice – once in each hand – by a small rattlesnake. The woman was reportedly attempting to pick the snake up when the incident occurred. Thunderstorms in the area prevented a helicopter response until after midnight. An Arizona DPS Rescue flight crew out of Flagstaff using night vision goggles successfully flew the woman out of the canyon to Flagstaff Medical Center, where she was admitted for several days while receiving anti-venom treatment.
Rattlesnake bite incidents requiring anti-venom administration are very rare at the Grand Canyon.