Boy bitten by rattlesnake in Napa County airlifted to East Bay hospital

By Tony Hicks | Bay City News

A boy in rural Calistoga was bitten by a rattlesnake Sunday afternoon and taken to a hospital by helicopter.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said on social media it dispatched its helicopter “Henry-1” to a rural area near Calistoga, where a 13-year-old boy was bitten by a rattlesnake.

Paramedics determined the boy needed to get to the hospital quickly, where he was treated with anti-venom. There was no word on the boy’s condition Monday.

The hot summer weather is bringing out snakes all over the Bay Area. A 7-year-old boy was bitten by a rattlesnake June 7 in Mt. Diablo State Park and was also taken to a hospital via helicopter.

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The boy’s mother carried him down to a parking lot on the north side of the park near Mitchell Canyon after the snake bite was reported around 4 p.m. The boy was running on a trail — believed to be the Bruce Lee Spring Trail — and felt something hurt his lower leg, but never saw the snake. However, his symptoms were consistent with a rattlesnake bite and authorities determined the best option for treatment was to take him by California Highway Patrol helicopter to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek

Mt. Diablo supervising state park ranger Cameron Morrison said at the time it’s important to remain calm when dealing with rattlesnake bites since an elevated heart rate can spread the venom quicker.

Morrison said rattlesnakes aren’t typically aggressive and usually bite only when provoked or threatened. He said hikers should “always look at the ground where you’re putting your feet” and that snakes “like to be in a place where they’re protected, like the corner of a rock or underneath a downed tree.”

If someone encounters a rattlesnake, they should give it space and it will eventually move or people should be able to find their way around it, Morrison said.

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