[VIDEO] You Get Bitten by a Venomous Snake, What Do You Do?

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So, you are walking around a trail out here and West Texas. You don't notice it, but you walk by a snake, and it strikes and sinks its venom into you. Well, this recently happened to a Colorado man visiting the Austin area in Texas.

"I reached down thinking that I was going to be knocking yellow jackets off my feet, and that's when a very large copperhead slithered away," said Jay Middleton.

While on a trail at St. Edwards Park, Middleton's vacation quickly turned into a trip to the trauma center.

"I was like, 'Oh wow,' said Middleton. "I broke into a cold sweat. My wife said I turned kind of gray. I got really, really nauseous, and at that point, they made the call to strap me to the board and roll me out."

Middleton was taken to a nearby medical center to treat his bite. He rested for three weeks and has since recovered. He told an Austin TV station KVUE he plans to continue hitting the trails.

If you happen to find yourself in the same situation as Middleton, experts say it is critical to get treatment quickly.

"Snakebites can be fatal, although if you seek treatment quickly and get the antivenom, they usually are not," said trauma injury prevention coordinator Kristen Hullum.

She said if you see a snake, slowly walk away from it, but if a venomous snake bites you, call 911, stay still and try to keep your heartrate down.

"The movement accelerates the circulation of blood and limbs through your body, which then circulates the venom," said Hullum.

She said do not attempt to suck out the venom and do not apply a tourniquet or ice.

Have you encountered a snake while hitting the trails here in West Texas? Have you been bitten? We'd like to hear about you experience. Let us know about it on Facebook or on our station app.