MERIDIAN, Idaho — A Meridian man says a rattlesnake bite turned a family vacation into a fight for his life.
Chris Howarth was spending the last day of a family vacation at his parents' home in northern California when he stepped into the garden to fix a broken water line.
"All of a sudden I felt like a star thistle or a goathead hit the top of my foot. I was like, 'ow!' and then I said 'ow' again and looked down and there was the snake all curled up," Howarth said.
Watch Meridian man' recount experience after rattlesnake bite leads to nearly 2 weeks in the ICU
Howarth quickly realized a rattlesnake had bitten him twice. He and his wife Jenny headed to the emergency room expecting a quick visit, antivenom, and a drive back home to Meridian. But things took a turn for the worse.
"He kind of went downhill on the third day. He went into this thing called DIC." Jenny Howarth said.
Jenny, who is a registered nurse, says the venom started affecting his blood's ability to clot. Doctors continued giving him antivenom, but Chris kept getting worse.
"The nurses were getting kind of nervous because they'd never seen one of my cases before," Chris said.
After 36 vials of antivenom — more than double what is typically given to rattlesnake bite victims — doctors decided to transfer him to Stanford Medical Center. In total, Chris tells us he received 54 vials of antivenom and spent nearly two weeks in the ICU.
"We knew getting treatment fast is kind of what's important," Jenny said.
More than a month later, the Meridian USPS letter carrier says he is still recovering, dealing with swelling and fatigue, and has not yet been able to return to work.
Idaho Fish and Game officials say if you are working or playing in rattlesnake country, it is good to wear tall leather boots and long, loose pants that are not tucked into the boots. People should avoid stepping into crevices, holes, and rock ledges where snakes tend to hide, and should not lift rocks with bare hands, as a snake could be hiding underneath. Hikers are also more likely to hear a rattlesnake's warning sound if they are not wearing headphones.
"We just want people to be aware. Even being someone in the medical field I had no idea how serious they could be. Even getting help right away," Jenny said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Howarth family recover. If you're interested in donating to the family you can learn more here.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
