Deadly Snake Bites 2 Children Playing Near Lake While Father Was Grilling Steaks

Two children were bitten by a deadly snake while they were playing near a lake in Arizona.

According to a Graham County Sheriff’s Office report, the kids were vacationing with their family at Riggs Lake on Mount Graham when a rattlesnake bit them. They were 15 feet away from their father, who was grilling steaks, when the incident occurred, Gila Herald reported. The 4-year-old and 8-year-old boys were rushed to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center.

The unidentified father reportedly told the police the children have been around snakes before as the family owned two non-venomous python.

Earlier that day, they had found a garter snake. The kids were seen poking a log with a stick and a short time later, one of them ran to their father complaining of a snake bite. The father then noticed both the children had been bitten on their hands.

The man marked where the bite occurred to measure the movement of the venom. Deputies were informed about the incident and the children were taken to the hospital. Due to the elevation in the area where the family had been recreating, an air rescue was declined.

At the hospital, a tox screen showed positive for rattlesnake venom in the children. They were later given the first dose of anti-venom.

Rattlesnakes are found from southern Canada to central Argentina, but are also seen in the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. According to Britannica, rattlesnakes are not aggressive and they don't attack humans unless unprovoked.

Last month, a dog was hailed a hero after she went head-to-head with a rattlesnake to protect her owner. The incident occurred on Vandegrift Boulevard, Oceanside, California, in Megan Montano's backyard patio. The one foot-and-a-half long rattlesnake was found slithering in her yard when Montano's dog came to the rescue and got bitten by the snake. Luckily, she was given a dose of antivenin and was saved. "Be aware of your surroundings, and just be smart. Have your head on a swivel at all times," Montano told ABC10 at the time. The rattlesnake was allegedly "found, captured, and relocated" a day after the incident.