Man, 41, hospitalized with rattlesnake bite after he tried to get closer for a picture, family says
BY Herschel Smith
1 hour, 20 minutes ago
“He was trying to get a better angle, better focus,” said Richard Curylo, who is engaged to the injured man’s sister.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, July 21, near a boat launch at Proud Lake Recreation Area in Commerce Township, according to a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in a statement to PEOPLE.
The incident involved a 41-year-old man and was handled by local 911, per the spokesperson.
While speaking to local outlet WXYZ, Richard Curylo, who is engaged to the injured man’s sister, said he and his group had been swimming when they noticed movement in some nearby grass.
“We saw and heard the rattle and it was his first time seeing one, so he wanted to get a really good picture,” Curylo said while speaking to the outlet.
Curylo said he recorded video of the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake before his fiancée’s brother then moved in even closer to capture a photo.
The Eastern Massasauga is the only venomous snake native to Michigan, and only one of two rattlesnake species native to the Great Lakes region, according to Michigan State University.
The family called 911, and the man was transported by ambulance to the University of Michigan, which was the nearest hospital equipped with antivenom, per WXYZ.
Don’t be stupid. A cat has quicker reflexes than a snake and will rarely lose to a snake. You aren’t a cat.
On August 3, 2026 at 8:34 pm, Paul B said:
Some people should not be let out without a minder.