The woman was hiking along the Buena Vista Trail in Kings Canyon National Park when she needed rescuing
NEED TO KNOW
- A woman was reportedly bitten on the ankle by a rattlesnake during a hike in Southern California
- The incident marks at least the seventh recorded rattlesnake bite in the region over the past month and a half, including two deaths, according to a local report
- There are seven species of rattlesnake in California
A woman was bitten by a rattlesnake while hiking in Southern California, prompting a rescue from first responders. The medical emergency comes amid a rise in rattlesnake bites in the region.
On Sunday, April 12, at 3:38 p.m. local time, authorities hiked up the Buena Vista Trail in Kings Canyon National Park to assist an injured hiker, the Montecito Fire Department said in a statement shared on Instagram alongside video of the rescue. The woman was about three-quarters of a mile up the trail when she was bitten on the ankle by a reported rattlesnake.
“She did not have adequate cell service to call 911,” officials said, “but was able to send a text to a loved one, who then contacted emergency services.”
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As the unidentified woman made her way back down the trail, first responders, including firefighters and members of the Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue team, instructed her to keep blowing a whistle so they could locate her. Once found, she was transported to the trailhead in a Stokes basket before she was taken by ambulance to a hospital…