Kayaker spots rattlesnake swimming in California river

July 10 (UPI) -- A kayaker in California captured video of his unexpected encounter with an unusual swimmer -- a rattlesnake slithering through the water.

Jonathan Carabba said he was kayaking Sunday on the American River in Sacramento when he spotted the western diamondback rattlesnake swimming only a few feet away from him.

Carabba said the snake eventually went ashore and he had to warn some nearby fishermen to get out of its way.

"Been paddling this stretch for years & have seen a ton of wildlife, but never this," Carabba wrote.