NJ venomous snake bites cyclist who tried to help: 'My hand was just too close'

A scenic bike ride along the Palisades cliffs in New Jersey ended with a horrifying encounter when a venomous snake bit a man who was just trying to help.

What they're saying:

Dan Geiger saw the snake on the roadway and said he feared it would be run over by a vehicle. So, he tried to save it.

"I notice a lot of squashed snakes because snakes go out to the pavement to sun themselves or to gather heat and I guess they're a target for automobiles," Geiger said. "I nudged it, it didn't, it was very lethargic seeming, and I just sort of nudged again, and I was just like too close, you know, my hand was just too close to its head, I guess, and it just, it struck me with precision and speed."

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The snake was a venomous copperhead, and with the help of two good Samaritans, Geiger was able to call 911. He was rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center, where they have a special toxicology team trained to handle venomous snake bites. 

"Once you get antivenom, I think people expect that it's like this miracle cure where all of a sudden like everything goes back to normal," says Dr. Daria Falkowitz, director of the Division of Medical Toxicology at Hackensack University Medical Center. "It just stops things from getting worse and so whatever tissue damage has already occurred prior to receiving it, is there. Though initially it doesn't look bad, the damage has been done, so we expect some progression over a day or two."

Why you should care:

Dr. Falkowitz says as summer comes around, it’s important to be aware of venomous snakes in the area.

"They most of the time avoid people," Dr. Falkowitz said. "It's more of a risk for like little kids and pets that you want to try and keep out of there and try not to specifically reach for them."

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