GRAPHIC: Woman nearly dies from snake bite days before 21st birthday

NORTH PORT, Fla. (WBBH) - A Florida woman had to celebrate her 21st birthday in the hospital after a venomous snake bit her while she was on a hike.

Sierra Lynn likes to relax by taking photos of monarch butterflies while walking through the woods, according to her boyfriend, Derrick Hunter. But one wrong step on May 19 almost cost her her life.

Lynn was walking through the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port when a snake bit her on the leg. She believes it was an eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which is venomous.

Sierra Lynn, pictured with her boyfriend, survived a venomous snake bite. She will need... — Sierra Lynn, pictured with her boyfriend, survived a venomous snake bite. She will need reconstructive surgery on her bitten leg and rehabilitation to learn how to walk again, according to GoFundMe.(Source: Derrick Hunter, WBBH via CNN)

Emergency officials got her off the trail, into an ambulance and then a helicopter to get her to the hospital. She barely made it there alive, and her family thought she wasn’t going to make it.

“I’ll never forget after they grabbed the whole family and told us all to come in to see her in a way where you know it was to come say our goodbyes,” Hunter said.

But miraculously, Lynn survived.

“She’s a warrior, and she fought through. Absolute miracles happen,” Hunter said.

Lynn and Hunter celebrated her 21st birthday on May 24 in the intensive care unit. Those weren’t the plans they had before the snake bite, but now, they’re just happy Lynn is still alive.

The couple wants to warn others about staying cautious on Florida trails.

“Alligators and sharks are not the only dangers here in Florida. There are several venomous snakes and spiders out here,” Hunter said.

He recommends taking a walking stick to scare any snakes in your path and also to be cautious before you take your next step.

“Always step on the log and not over the log. That’s a big one. If you’re able to step on that log, you’re going to startle that snake and have less chance of it biting you.”

The family set up a GoFundMe to help with Lynn’s medical expenses. According to an update on the site, Lynn is out of the intensive care unit and now on a trauma floor. She will need reconstructive surgery on her bitten leg and rehabilitation to learn how to walk again.