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ST. GEORGE — You won’t find any alligators swimming in Southern Utah’s lakes, but a man fishing in Sand Hollow Reservoir found another dangerous reptile gliding through the water.
Randy Hatch was only a few hundred feet from the shore in Sand Hollow Reservoir on May 28 when he saw a rattlesnake swimming in the water close to his 14-foot aluminum fishing boat. He had just passed the buoys with the “No wake” signs on them when he noticed the snake.
“At the time, it was headed toward shore, but when it saw us, it started swimming toward my boat,” Hatch said. “I don’t think it was wanting to attack us, more like it just wanted to get out of the water.”
Hatch was able to confirm the snake was in fact a rattlesnake because of the rattle on its tail and the shape of its head. He circled it a few times in his boat before taking a video of it swimming and leaving the snake alone.
Rattlesnakes can pack a venomous bite that can cause lingering muscle and tissue damage. Rattlesnake bites are typically not deadly, but they can still cause serious pain, numbness and swelling.
Rattlesnake safety tips from @UtahDWRhttps://t.co/9yJN4ge15dpic.twitter.com/dDUS6odaWW
— Utah.gov (@UtahGov) June 4, 2018
Rattlesnakes can indeed swim, and swimmers and boaters should avoid grabbing what may appear to be sticks or branches in the water, according to a tip sheet about the animals by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
To read the full story, visit St. George News.
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