Boy's death from rattlesnake bite leaves 'huge hole' in Colorado family
Six-year-old Simon Currat's mother Lindsey says her son was a boy who loved adventure.
"They were out riding bikes and he loved to ride bikes," she said.
On July 5, he and his dad went for an evening ride at the Bluestem Prairie Open Space near their home in the southern part of the Colorado Springs area.
While taking a water break, Simon ran ahead and was bitten by a rattlesnake.
"It's the hardest thing anyone would ever have to go through," Lindsey Currat said.
After carrying Simon to a nearby intersection for help, nearby neighbors came to their side and called 911.
Derek Chambers, a Battalion Chief for Security Fire Department, was among the first to respond. He says after learning of the bite he immediately called in a helicopter to take the boy to a nearby hospital.
His mother says after receiving care at three different hospitals and days of fighting, the family made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Simon.
"It's awful. I think there's definitely cycles where you do okay and then you cycle back down," she said.
Holding her together now, she says, is the support they've seen from around the world, the prayers that have been pouring in and above all her family.
"I have three other children. It has helped to be around them because I can find joy in still being their mom," she said.
While comforting, she says nothing will change what happened, and the sudden loss of her son has left them broken.
"There is a huge hole in my family," she said.
Simon's death has prompted a bigger discussion about how to respond if you encounter a rattlesnake, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has shared the following information: Step-by-step guidance of what to do & what not to do when bitten by a rattlesnake
