Hiker survives rattlesnake bite on a Southern California trail
-
Click here to listen to this article - Share via
See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred
A rattlesnake has bitten another hiker in Southern California, sending her to the hospital after being carried off the trail by firefighters over the weekend, according to Santa Barbara County officials.
On Sunday around 3:38 p.m., the Montecito Fire Protection District responded to the Buena Vista Trail to aid an injured hiker, according to an agency social media post. The female hiker was about three-quarters of a mile up the trail when she was bitten on the ankle.
She didn’t have cellphone service to call 911 but sent a text to someone she knew, who contacted emergency services, according to the post.
The hiker was told by dispatchers to blow her whistle so first responders could find her, the agency said.
Montecito firefighters and Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue personnel found the hiker and transported her to the trailhead, according to the post. She was then taken to a hospital.
The incident is the second snakebite-related emergency on a Montecito hiking trail this month, according to authorities.
Last month, a Ventura County woman died from a rattlesnake bite on a Southern California hiking trail during an unusually active period of snake attacks and unseasonably warm weather.
Rattlesnakes, which are typically most active in spring and summer, appear to have been drawn out earlier than usual this year as the Southland experienced the hottest March on record.
Officials have recommended people stay vigilant and have an emergency plan in case of a snake bite, including knowing their location, trail names and GPS coordinates.
More From the Los Angeles Times
![Olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings have been released to the wild after eggs were successfully hatched at the non-profit Aquarium of the Pacific. In an unprecedented event, two olive ridley sea turtle nests were discovered in mid-September in Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, California. The discovery represents the first-ever confirmed instance of natural sea turtle nesting on the U.S. West Coast. The eggs were then relocated to the Aquarium for protection due to a tropical storm. The Aquarium was selected to care for the sea turtle eggs due to its expertise and resources for animal care. Photo Information: This imagery was captured at a safe distance using red or infrared lighting, or no lighting during, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinated activity where sea turtles were not harmed. Sea turtles are protected and should not be disturbed or harassed. [If you see a stranded sea turtle, notify a local lifeguard or call NOAA's sea turtle stranding hotline at 562-506-4315.]](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8da360c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2917x1945+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F49%2Fc6%2F874c95194b14952c3259f26719c5%2Fme-olive-ridley-sea-turtle-hatchlings-released-03.JPG)
Podcasts
William Mulholland was the water boss who made L.A. possible. His reputation gave him unchecked authority as a dam builder. In 1928, that led to one of America’s deadliest disasters--and the question of whether it was a crime.
It started as a ploy to scare Texas out of redrawing its congressional map and ended with California voters approving a new map of their own, one that could hat could help alter the balance of power in Washington.
On this week’s episode of Boiling Point, Miranda Green speaks with Los Angeles Times climate reporter Hayley Smith about how AI bots are meddling in California’s clean energy policymaking.
