Arizona man in recovery after being bit by rattlesnake

YAVIPAI COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA) - An Arizona man is recovering after a rattlesnake bite landed him in the hospital for nearly a week.

"I'm happy to be alive," said Jason Hackett, who is recovering from a rattlesnake bite.

A camping trip in rural Yavapai County ended in the worst way for Hackett.

"Before I can even flinch, it reached up and grabbed me, and it's the most excruciating pain that I can experience," Hacket shared.

A rattlesnake bit him in the back of the calf and then slithered away.

"It did rattle...after it bit me, yeah," Hackett remembered.

He called his wife at home who immediately called 911.

Using GPS, Yavapai County Sheriff deputies were able to get to him and start treating him within a half hour.

His condition deteriorated quickly, and he was taken by helicopter to a Phoenix-area hospital.

The whole time, Hackett said he was imagining the worst.

"Just like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm gonna die.' Yeah, it was pretty bad," Hackett expressed.

Hackett says he spent about five days in the hospital and received at least seven vials of anti-venom, but the pain is still extreme.

"It felt like somebody was pouring acid on my leg, just the one leg," Hackett said.

He said he's grateful for first responders for getting to him when they did, and wants to remind other campers to always be aware of their surroundings.

"I'm happy just to be here. I bet. You know, cause it was traumatic. It was truly traumatic," Hackett remarked. "Because certainly I paid the price for it and I'm still paying the price for it."