A college baseball player and graduate student has survived a rattlesnake bite in Southern California after exhausting one hospital’s supply of antivenom and being rushed by ambulance to another facility for more.
In total, 22-year-old Jake Entrup received 34 doses of antivenom, which is roughly twice what is usually required in these situations, according to CBS News Los Angeles.
‘I was just in agonizing pain,’ former Citrus College Owls pitcher Jake Entrup told CBS LA.
A soon-to-be graduate student and recent college transfer, according to his GoFundMe page, Entrup and his mother took their two dogs for a hike along the Wilderness Park trails near Higginbotham Park on July 18.
Everything was fine, he said, until he turned a corner on the path.
‘The next thing I know, I got bit,’ Entrup told KTLA. ‘I looked down and I saw the fang marks. I did turn around. I saw the snake. It kind of hissed at me and slithered off into the bush.’
Entrup, and his mom were hiking on the Wilderness Park trails near Higginbotham Park
Entrup is pictured near the park where he was bitten by a rattlesnake a week earlier
Jake Entrup’s leg is seen in the hospital after he was bitten by a rattlesnake on a family hike
Entrup screamed, but a passing nurse was able to keep him calm in order to slow the spread of the snake’s venom.
Still, Entrup could feel the terrifying effects almost immediately.
‘Within the first two minutes, I put my hand in front of my face and I could not see it,’ Entrup told KTLA.
From there, Entrup would be air lifted to Pomona Valley Trauma Center and given 20 doses of antivenom.
When the hospital supply ran low, he was then rushed by ambulance to LA County General for another 14 doses, according to his GoFundMe page.
In total, 22-year-old Jake Entrup received 34 doses of antivenom, which is roughly twice what is usually required in these situations, according to CBS News Los Angeles
Entrup is seen with his family. The right-hander previously played at Citrus College near LA
Although Entrup is seen walking with crutches in news pieces from CBS LA and KTLA, he still ‘faces a long road to recovery,’ according to the fundraising website.
‘Jake recently committed to play baseball at the collegiate level and start grad school this coming fall,’ read background information on the website. ‘He was working double shifts to pay his tuition and will now have a loss of wages for at least the next few weeks.
‘If we can help relieve some of this stress to allow him to focus on his healing and recovery I know he would greatly appreciate it. Any donation, no matter the amount, will help ease the financial burden and allow Jake to focus on healing. If you aren’t able to give, sharing this fundraiser with your friends and family is just as appreciated.
‘Thank you for your kindness, generosity, prayers, and support during this difficult time. Every donation, share, and message of encouragement reminds Jake that he is not facing this alone. Your support means the world to him.’
It’s not clear where Entrup has committed to playing. The Daily Mail has sought more information from the organizer of his GoFundMe page, which had raised $4,000 of its $4,500 goal by Saturday morning.
