Poisonous Snake Bite While Canoeing or Kayaking

By way of disclaimer, let me state that I am no expert on snake bites, I am not a herpetologist, and have never been bitten by a snake! I do benefit from the distilled wisdom of others as to how I would handle the situation if I were unfortunate enough to be bitten while paddling myself.

I will start with some observations. First, the bite on the Hiwassee in 2007 article here is a rare event. I have never heard of one before or since. In 30 years of paddling in north Georgia, I have never seen a poisonous snake on a river, only harmless water snakes. I have seen quite a few copperheads in my neighborhood, and a couple of rattlesnakes in the north Georgia mountains, so I know they are out there. I have never seen a water moccasin or a coral snake in the wild, but then I seldom paddle in south Georgia or Florida.

Second, since there are only 4 species of venomous snakes in our region, it behooves you to know how to identify them correctly....the emergency room is going to want to know, assuming you did not kill the snake and bring it with you! Google Images is a great place to spend a bit of time. In particular, get to know the difference between poisonous and non poisonous snakes.

Third, apparently the snake can control the amount of venom injected, and about 25% of bites are said to be "dry bites", i.e. no venom. However, the odds are still that you will be envenomated if bitten. Also the size of the snake matters: bigger snake, more venom available.

So...if you are bitten, what do you do? Everything I learned as a child and later is now considered wrong! No tourniquets, no cross cutting the bite, no suction and snake bite kits, no ice. Keep the bitten part still (?splinting), and elevated slightly above heart level, and GET TO A HOSPITAL. There, they will make the decision whether or not to use antivenin, and they can provide other drugs and supportive measures. Simple, huh?

If you Google 'poisonous snake bite treatment' you will see lots more information, but what I have said above is what I would do for myself.

Let's get back to where we started....we are paddling, possibly in a remote area. Lots of our rivers run by roads and houses, so that is the best place to go for help, or rather send one of your companions for help, because you are going to be resting! If you are not near a road or house, and are a long way from the takeout, you may have a problem. A cell phone would be good, if you have service and know your exact location (maybe you have a GPS too?). Otherwise, split your party, have some stay with the victim, and the rest go for help,

either a bushwhack out, or paddle to the takeout. I can't imagine trying to paddle with a snake bite; besides the likely discomfort, all the physical activity is probably going to spread the venom. So you paddling out is the last resort.

So, next time you pull over to the bank, check overhanging limbs, and watch those rocks where you might be tempted to put your hands. Frankly, I think walking into the woods to relieve yourself might be your bigger risk, maybe snakes, but mainly poison ivy. Good luck,

and keep this information in the back of your mind, but don't lose sleep over it.

by Dick Hurd, MD
August 26, 2010

Two recent incidents on the Cheoah serve as a reminder of the risks presented by woody debris, especially in fast flowing, dam-fed streams. In April, a paddler drowned on the Cheoah when her shorts snagged on an underwater branch. (Eddy Line, June, 2007.)

More recently, a student paddler at NOC had to be rescued when his kayak overturned onto the stump of a felled tree, pinning his skirt and his leg. (A detailed report of the incident, and of a re-enactment of it with the dam not running, is at NOC Paddling School - scroll to Tuesday, August 14.)

One issue brought to light by these incidents is largely limited to the Cheoah. The organized, large-scale removal of woody debris from the long-dry riverbed before the flow was resumed may have resulted in some of that debris being more dangerous rather than less so. Before you cut back woody debris, think about not only the danger it presents now, but also the danger it will present afterward. A standing tree is a serious but obvious danger: the stump of a felled tree may well be a deadly and hidden danger, especially if the cutting leaves it sharp and it is just below a rapid or pour over.

The other issue brought to light by the Cheoah incidents is more general: when it comes to woody debris, lower water can mean higher danger. A river is not the same place at very low levels as it is at normal flow. Stumps, rocks and other objects that are in deep water at normal flow can become hazards at lower levels. And shallow areas at normal flow may become places to get stuck at lower level- not a good thing if you’re the first of several boats in line.

This particular danger isn’t limited to rivers. The drought has resulted in incidents of boats hitting trees or other underwater features on Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona, and I can see newly exposed when I cross the bridge over Lake Lanier. Paddlers on West Point Lake always need to be alert for tree tops.

Be careful out there. Take your time and scout the places where you can't see in advance the stumps and rocks you usually just glide over.

by Rick Bellows
From The Eddy Line, September 2007

Some people from the Huntsville Canoe Club were paddling the Hiwassee the weekend of June 2-3 and my buddy Matt paddled ahead through the rapid after Lunch Stop in order to snap a few photos. He was holding onto a rock with his left hand and snapping photos with his right.

After a few minutes, he felt a pain in his left hand and looked down to see a snake attached to his ring finger. The snake let go and darted into some leaves so he grabbed the paddle and smacked the leaves to expose the snake. He recognized the snake as a copperhead and let the group know what had happened.

They made the decision to paddle to the takeout without making any stops and to keep his hand in the cold water as long as possible to slow down the swelling. By the time they got to the takeout his hand/forearm were described as “looking like Shrek.” They hauled ass to the Cleveland ER, where they gave him anti-venom and an IV and then the doctor made a decision to transport him (not sure if it was ambulance or airlift) to the Chattanooga hospital because they were better equipped to handle this.

I talked to Matt’s wife and they were going to be holding him a second night and then expected him to be released. She says everything seems to be going well and the swelling has dropped down a lot. She said the bite area looks like disgusting and is black and bubbled up. Luckily he had removed his wedding ring before they started paddling or it would have been cut off at the ER.

By Kent Upshaw
From the Birmingham Canoe Club listserve
From The Eddy Line, July, 2007

In beginning white water class, I was advised to use a right handed paddle with a 90 degree feather. I assumed that this was correct, after all these folks were certified by AWA - New York. Well people, after a few runs on the river my wrist was sore from bending 90+ degrees, my control arm was getting stronger (the other was not), and I was thoroughly confused about which way to turn the paddle when upside down. Not wanting to get carpel tunnel, asymmetrical shirts, or end up swimming every time I flipped, I did something crazy — I ordered a zero degree paddle. Results as follows:

1. On a forward stroke the high wrist is flat while the low wrist is bent back at about 15 degrees.

2. Both arms get worked.

3. When rolling up (C to C) the inside paddle blade is flat on the bottom of the kayak forcing the outside blade to be flat on the surface. Really neat!

4. Rolling is easier because the outside blade is about four or five inches higher in the water than could be achieved with a feathered blade. Super keen! The feathered inside blade forces the outside blade down into the water. Super bad!

5. Off-side rolls are much easier because the wrist angle is shallow and is the same as on the on-side roll.

6. When being thrown side to side in a rapid, the zero paddle is always ready for a brace on the opposite side. With a feathered paddle you must be very-very fast.

7. When going over a drop that puts you underwater, the zero paddle on low brace will help bring your bow up faster and allow you to right your kayak before breaking the surface. A feathered paddle will cause you to do a neat 360.

8. Side surfacing on the off-side does not require a broken wrist.

Amazing, ain’t it!

by John M. Turk
From The Eddy Line, May 1996

[John: The certifying body is actually the ACA, not the AWA, and they are not in New York, but are closer to New York than they are to Georgia or to the average paddler. You make some excellent points. I asked some questions and did some research about feathered paddles back in my kayaking days. The only explanation I found for feathering was to reduce wind resistance on the blade that is out of the water during your power stroke; that it would make a great deal of difference in your degree of fatigue after a long day of paddling. My thought is that this is probably true in a sea or touring kayak, but not so much in a white water boat. I had the same problems you did in white water with the feathered blades until I switched to a break-down paddle with feathering adjustable between ninety, forty-five and zero degrees. - Editor.]

I write this for two reasons: a) so it won't happen to you, and b) so if it does, you know what to do.

On March 24, several of us were paddling the Middle Tellico. Beautiful day, sunny and 70 degrees. We got to Bounce-Off Rock and I was paddling in the middle of the pack. I went too far left and bounced off, subsequently finding myself upside-down. No problem! I have a "bomb proof" roll! It turned out that day to be a "bum proved" roll. I set up and tried twice to roll, but to no avail! I was on an eddy line, plus sloppy in my attempts. Still no problem! Lots of folks around. Eskimo rescue! Well, I hit the bottom of my boat, waited, looked up for shadows. No one. I tried again with the same results. It turned out no one could get to me where I was. Again, no problem! I pulled my loop and bailed out, feeling stupid and embarrassed. This is where most of these stories end.

I was getting my boat downstream of me, making sure to keep my feet up to avoid entrapment. In doing so, I was on my stomach with my head downstream. My spray skirt caught on a rock and in the blink of an eye I spun to the downstream end of the rock, watched my spray skirt stretch out and found myself lying on the bottom of the river, throat full of water, knowing if I coughed it would be all over, unable to reach my spray skirt.

Jesus came up, tapped me on the shoulder and said "Time to come home." I laid there for about twenty minutes (5 or so seconds in real time) when my fruitless struggles produced a happy accident. Totally ragged out, I laid back to try to gain strength for another try when the 350 cfs current filled up the underside of my spray skirt, building inside pressure and washing me out of it.

About 15 minutes later my boat and lungs were cleared of water and we were on our way down river. But I will never forget the lessons I learned. If ever out of my boat in strong current, I'll be a "river whore". I'll keep my skirt up, relax, lay back and enjoy it. Happy boating.

From the Tennessee Valley Canoe Club newsletter.

by Phil Haynie
Reprinted in The Eddy Line, July 1996