Venomous Rattlesnake Bites 4-Year-Old On Palm Springs Hike Trail

KEY POINTS

The 4-year-old boy was bitten on the leg by the venomous snake while out hiking with his family
He was rescued with a helicopter and transported by ambulance to a hospital
Rescuers warned the public to stay alert during snake season to prevent similar incidents

A 4-year-old boy from Palm Springs, California has been saved after he was bitten by a venomous rattlesnake during his trek up the mountains, rescuers announced.

Members of the Palm Springs Mounted Police Search and Rescue (PSMP-SAR) located the boy after receiving a report of the incident at approximately 12:05 p.m. on May 15, the volunteer rescue group said in a statement Sunday.

The young boy and his family were out hiking on Murray Canyon trail when the snake bit his leg, prompting the child's parents to call for help, KESQ reported, citing police.

According to the PSMP-SAR statement, an Airbus AS350 "H-60" helicopter from the California Highway Patrol's Border Division Air Operations assisted in the rescue by hoisting down a PSMP-SAR member down to the boy, where he was packaged and safely hoisted off the mountain to awaiting emergency medical personnel at the landing zone.

"We were able to get him within a matter of five minutes," PSMP-SAR rescue coordinator Doug Stevens was quoted as saying by KESQ. "We were there to get him hoisted down to the helicopter, within 20 minutes we had him back in the AMR (American Medical Response) ambulance."

AMR then transported the boy to a local hospital for treatment. An update to the the original post said the boy was in stable condition.

"Never had a snake bite in the 40 years that I have been doing a search and rescue here in the desert," Stevens told KESQ. According to him, it was critical to act quickly in those kinds of scenarios as the venom travels through children faster than it does in adults due to their smaller body mass.

"He did a great job. That had to be scary at four years to be hoisted away from your parents into a helicopter," Stevens said. "But he was brave little boy."

Stevens reminded the public to stay alert as it was snake season in the desert, causing sightings of the animal to be more frequent.

"Don’t wear air-pods, don’t wear earbuds, things like that because you can’t hear them. They normally will warn you," Stevens explained.

"You’ll hear a hissing sound and that’s usually the rattles of the snake. They sound like a hiss and you’ll hear that thats basically stay away from them," he added.