Two Yavapai County Sheriff's Office deputies raced against the clock to save a man's life after a rattlesnake bit him at a remote campsite.
Two Yavapai County deputies responded after a camper reported a rattlesnake bit him at his campsite near Perkinsville on the evening of July 29, according to a Facebook post from the Sheriff's Office.
As the deputies trekked through the rural terrain, they found the camper and noticed the man was experiencing mild symptoms, the Facebook post stated.
In video footage shared by the Sheriff's Office, deputies could be heard advising the camper to keep his eyes open and to take slow, deep breaths in order to keep his heart rate at a steady pace.
According to the Facebook post, due to the remote location, getting
an ambulance to the scene would have been too difficult. The deputies quickly decided to call in a rescue helicopter.
While they were waiting for medical personnel, the camper's condition began to rapidly deteriorate. He started experiencing symptoms of vomiting, convulsions and intense muscle spasms, the Facebook post stated.
Deputies tried to keep the man alert and clam to help avoid the venom's spread before medical personnel arrived, the Facebook post stated.
In the video, the camper could be heard asking for his phone to update his wife on the situation. The deputies assured him they would keep his wife updated.
Medical personnel were able to airlift the camper to a Phoenix-area hospital for emergency treatment. The camper spent a few days in the hospital before he was released to recover at his home in Yavapai County, the Facebook post stated.
The Sheriff's Office released a statement praising the deputies.
"Calls for service during a single shift can range wildly — from minor disputes and violent incidents to critical medical emergencies like this rattlesnake bite." the statement said. "The ability to adapt and understand how to preserve life in so many different, high-stress situations is exactly what makes our deputies heroes."
For what to do if a rattlesnake bite occurs, check out tips from the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How 2 Arizona deputies helped save a man's life after a rattlesnake bite
