Missing Group Located in Grant-Valkaria Woods

GRANT-VALKARIA, Florida - Brevard County Fire Rescue (BCFR) crews were dispatched at 8:24 a.m. to the area of Mulberry Lane and Grant Road in Grant-Valkaria for a person who had been bitten by a water moccasin.   The 19 year-old woman was part of a group of seven people who had reportedly spent nearly 10 hours in an area south of Grant Road.

Rescuers searched the swamp and wooded area on foot and by ATV but were unable to locate the group.  Brevard County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the search using their STAR helicopter with one BCFR paramedic aboard.

The group called 911 and reported their position to dispatchers before their cell phone apparently lost service.  Rescuers depended on their knowledge of the area and occasional encounters with other hikers in the area to predict the direction the group had traveled.  Ultimately, the group emerged onto Grant Road and met with crews at 9:22 a.m.

The woman was evaluated for a bite or sting or unknown origin to the left foot and was transported to Palm Bay Community Hospital in stable condition.   No snake was located and witnesses were unsure what bit the patient.   It is unclear what the group was doing in the wooded area but the area is popular with hikers, recreational vehicle users, and nature lovers.