Woman rescued after snake bite

By: Greg Bird

A Louisville woman was rescued from the banks of the Cumberland River Wednesday morning after being bitten by a snake while camping overnight.

A search for the woman was initiated just before 8:00 a.m. after her boyfriend left the site where the couple was camped to find a signal for his cell phone. They reportedly were on a canoe trip along the river, leaving a vehicle at Cumberland Falls the day before, and setting up camp later that evening on the shore somewhere in south eastern McCreary County.

After finally reaching 911 dispatch, he informed emergency services that the 32-year-old female had been bitten by a snake the night before and was suffering from nausea and had a swollen foot and ankle.

The caller was unable to identify where he was calling from, but described a 4-wheeler trail and a cemetery.

Crews from the Whitley City Fire Department, McCreary and Whitley County Search and Rescue, U.S. Forestry Officer Tim Grooms and McCreary County EMS initiated a search for the victim.

The original caller eventually made contact with a resident in the area, who advised the searchers the victim was located near the Marsh Creek Trail area off Bear Wallow School Road, but could not advise the exact location.

Around 10:00 a.m. the patient was located and transported by ATV to a waiting ambulance and taken to Pioneer Community Hospital of Scott in Oneida for treatment.