Leona Valley Man ‘Critical’ After Being Bitten by Rattlesnake in His Attic

A 64-year-old Leona Valley man stuck his head through a trapdoor to his attic Friday and came face to face with a rattlesnake.

The snake, at the same level as Donald L. Mathews’ head, bit him on the neck. Mathews was listed in critical condition late Friday at Antelope Valley Hospital.

Mathews was alone in his home in the remote mountain area just west of Palmdale when he peered into the attic to check on some mousetraps, said Capt. Ron Hamilton of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

After he was bitten about 1 p.m., he called 911 and was taken by helicopter to the hospital. He arrived about half an hour later, Hamilton said.

“He was coherent, but we don’t know how much venom was injected,” Hamilton said. Because of the bite’s location and the man’s age, Hamilton said, it was the worst snakebite he had seen in 23 years as a county firefighter.

The 1 1/2-foot snake was captured by an animal control officer Friday evening, said the victim’s wife, Betty.

Mathews was placed in intensive care at the hospital, she said.

“We have had six or seven snakes on our property over the past 19 years,” she said. “But never one in the house. Never.”