Julian Hernandez was mountain biking at the Quail Hill Trailhead in Irvine, Calif., when he was bitten by a rattlesnake on Feb. 1, 2026. The 25-year-old Costa Mesa local was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Over a month later, on March 11, Hernandez died in the hospital. The Orange County Coroner’s Office ruled his death the result of an animal bite.
While rattlesnake bites are fairly common in California, they’re rarely fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), out of the roughly 7,000 to 8,000 people bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. each year, only five die on average. Especially when emergency care (and antivenom) can be administered within the first 4 to 5 hours, the chances of surviving a rattlesnake bite are very high.
That fact has left the Hernandez family with lingering questions about Julian’s death. According to the GoFundMe page set up by Hernandez’s family, Julian was “strong and healthy,” and he was “alive when he got to the hospital.”
“We are a family that handed our son over to people we trusted and never got him back,” the fundraising page reads. “We have questions that deserve answers, and getting those answers requires a legal fight that costs more than any normal family can afford.”
Rare Fatality From Rattlesnake Bite
Rattlesnake fatalities are exceedingly rare in California, but they do happen. According to the California Poison Control System, approximately 300 rattlesnake bites are reported annually in the state. Over the last 10 years, though, only three rattlesnake-related fatalities have been reported, including Hernandez.
In July 2018, a San Bernardino man was bitten by a rattler at his home and suffered from a severe allergic reaction to the venom. He was airlifted to the hospital in “grave condition,” according to Victor Valley News. He later died after going into anaphylaxis.
In May 2022, an unnamed 60-year-old male died from a rattlesnake bite in Northern California, though details on this case are thin. The toxicological confirmation for this case is available in the 2022 National Poison Data System (NPDS) report.
According to data from the CDC, people are more likely to die from dog bites, furniture accidents, and even lightning strikes than from venomous snakes in the U.S.
If you’re bitten by a rattlesnake, the California Poison Control System (CPCS) recommends remaining calm and calling 911 immediately. The Poison Hotline (1-800-222-1222) can also be reached for further advice. On your way to the hospital, CPSC says to keep the bite site elevated above your heart. It also notes that many veterinarians carry antivenom for pets, which could be helpful if hospital access is not available.
A Family With Questions
Hernandez’s death has rocked his community. Social media was flooded with comments from those who knew him.
“His name was Julian, one of the sweetest kindest humans I’ve ever known … Will miss his smile,” one read.
“Julian was a great person with an amazing soul and was also part of one of the best families out there,” another said.
While Hernandez’s GoFundMe doesn’t explicitly state what lingering questions his family has about his death, the foreshadowed “legal fight” mentioned on the fundraiser page suggests they intend to take the hospital that cared for Hernandez to court. The hashtags used on the page (#JusticeforJulian & #StandupforJulian) support that.
“We are raising these funds to pursue the truth about what happened to Julian and to stand up for him,” the page reads. “This is about accountability. This is about making sure the next family that walks through those doors doesn’t live our nightmare.”
The fundraiser has raised $17,834 out of its $123K goal (roughly 15%). If you’d like to contribute, the webpage can be found here.
GearJunkie has reached out to the Hernandez family via GoFundMe, but has not received a response as of this writing. We will update this article if we do.
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