Watch: Mountain biker has close encounter with rattlesnake after crash
SAN DIEGO (KSWB) -- A mountain biker had a close encounter with a rattlesnake earlier this month in California's Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve.
Manuel Altamirano and his friends were riding their bikes on a trail when Altamirano fell off his bike and crashed into the dirt, winding up face-to-face with a rattlesnake.
"I’ve had countless encounters with these guys over the years, but it’s the first time I crashed on one. It all happened so fast," Altramirano said in an Instagram post.
After the crash, Altramirano captured the rattlesnake on video right next to his bike's front tire.
"I hit him when I crashed," he said in the video while trying to catch his breath.
Altramirano added in the video that he didn't realize the snake was there when he crashed.
"I tried to stop, but I ended up washing out and rolled the front tire over him. I was already bailing off the rear at this point. Thankfully, he turned out to be very chill about it all, and it doesn’t look like he got hurt," he said.
This wasn't Altramirano's first encounter with rattlesnakes while biking. "Usually, they are stretched out, and if you can't avoid them, you can hop over them," he said.
"In this case, he was coiled up in ready position…and I’ve had them try to strike me from that position before," he said.
April to September is rattlesnake season in the area. The San Diego Humane Society says to always keep pets on leashes while on a main trail; be alert by actively scanning the path in front of you; know where to go if bitten, and acknowledge the threat is always real.
If bitten, the County of San Diego Parks and Recreation advises to stay calm, immobilize the bitten extremity, wash the skin, remove any jewelry or tight-fitting clothing, and call 911 for help.