Tooth & Claw: True Stories of Animal Attacks
Tooth & Claw: True Stories of Animal Attacks

Rattlesnake Attack - A Real Bad Bite in Yosemite National Park

June 29, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In May 2017, writer and former hotshot firefighter Kyle Dickman was on a family trip in Yosemite National Park. He stepped into grass near a bridge and felt a light tap above his sock. He saw a dusty red coil with a diamond pattern. Within a minute of being bitten by a Northern Pacific rattlesnake, he passed out and began vomiting violently. The bite had hit a vein directly, sending venom straight into his bloodstream. What followed was a five-hour wait for antivenom, a hospital bill of nearly half a million dollars, and a recovery that would test him long after the physical wounds healed.

The Mechanics of Venom

Rattlesnake venom is not a simple poison that melts tissue. It is a sophisticated cocktail of proteins and enzymes that mimic the body's own signaling systems, hijacking them to cause chaos. Kyle's immediate collapse happened because the venom contains a protein that tells blood vessels to relax and expand. With vessels suddenly wide open, blood pressure dropped, and gravity prevented blood from reaching his brain.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 Rattlesnake Attack – A Real Bad Bite in Yosemite National Park
  • 2 (00:12) **Episode Introduction & Host Banter** - The hosts warm up with track and field stories, World Cup talk, and playful teasing before Wes introduces the day's rattlesnake story.
  • 3 (04:28) **Setting the Scene: Yosemite & Kyle Dickman** - Wes asks the hosts to name their most beautiful national parks, leading into the story's Yosemite setting and introducing victim Kyle Dickman.
  • 4 (10:53) **The Family Road Trip** - Kyle, his wife Tarin, and their newborn son Bridger set out on a month-long RV trip across the western US, ending at Yosemite.
  • 5 (17:30) **The Morning of the Bite** - Garrett proposes a wildflower hike to a remote meadow above Yosemite, and the group sets out on a perfect spring day.
  • 6 (19:07) **Immediate Collapse** - Kyle realizes he's been bitten by a rattlesnake, passes out within a minute, and begins violently vomiting while unconscious.
  • 7 (21:23) **"Time is Tissue"** - The family knows the only priority is getting Kyle to medical help as fast as possible, but they're deep in remote terrain.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Kyle was busy living his best life with his wife and newborn baby when disaster literally struck while in a remote part of Yosemite National Park. After a lot pain, vomit, and diarrhea, Kyle had another nearly unbelievable animal encounter that worsened his chances of survival. What a lucky(?) guy!


Watch here: https://youtu.be/mde3mOe6UIM

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