Boy bitten by rattlesnake in rural Calistoga flown to hospital
CALISTOGA, Calif. — A boy in rural Calistoga was bitten by a rattlesnake and taken to a hospital by helicopter on Sunday afternoon.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said on social media it dispatched its helicopter "Henry-1" to a rural area near Calistoga, where the 13-year-old boy was bitten by the 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 on June 7 in Mt. Diablo State Park and was also taken to a hospital via helicopter.
The boy was running on a trail — believed to be the Bruce Lee Spring Trail — sometime before 4 p.m. and felt something hurt his lower leg, but never saw the snake. His mother then carried him down to a parking lot on the north side of the park near Mitchell Canyon around 4 p.m.
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. He said rattlesnakes aren't typically aggressive and usually bite only when provoked or threatened.
He advised hikers to "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.
