A 6-year-old boy died after being bitten by a rattlesnake in Colorado, local news outlets reported.
The boy was riding his bike on a trail at the Bluestem Prairie Open Space near Colorado Springs on July 5 when the snake bit him, KDVR reported. His father didn’t have his phone with him at the time, so he carried his son to the closest neighborhood to get help, according to the outlet.
“As soon as the kid was bitten, the dad grabbed him and started running toward the street … screaming for help,” Security Fire Battalion Chief Derek Chambers told CBS Colorado.
Fire officials responded within minutes, and the child was taken to a hospital by helicopter, the outlet reported. At the hospital he was treated with antivenin, KDVR reported.
But the boy died several days after he was bitten, officials told KMGH
“Being a dad myself it really, really hits home,” Chambers told CBS Colorado.
Officials are urging people to remain cautious of rattlesnakes and say that snake bites are not something to take lightly.
What to do after a rattlesnake bite
Colorado Springs Fire Department Captain Don Watkins told Colorado Public Radio that anyone bitten by a rattlesnake should limit their movement, call 911 and wait for help to arrive instead of rushing to a hospital.
“You don’t want to elevate the heart rate anymore than you have to,” he told the outlet. “We want to keep the patient as calm as possible. We have all of our medical equipment with us. We will come to you.”
Officials also warn against snake bite kits, tourniquets or attempting to suck out the venom, as those methods could cause more damage, KDVR reported.
Jefferson County Open Space park ranger Mary Ann Bonnell told the outlet that people who are bitten should sit down and keep the bite in a neutral position – elevated above or slightly below the heart.
People should also seek medical attention even if they don’t immediately experience symptoms, as bites could become infected or symptoms could take a while to appear, Bonnell told KDVR.
How to stay safe outdoors
Rattlesnakes, which appear at Colorado parks and trails more often during this time of year, could easily go unnoticed by visitors, KOAA reported. People can keep an eye out for snakes by being mindful of where they’re walking, according to Travis Sauder, assistant area wildlife manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
“They’re on the ground and they’re fairly camouflaged,” Sauder told Fox 21. “So instead of looking ahead real far, be looking at your feet, looking at rocky ledges, things like that, where those snakes like to be.”
People should also wear long boots and pants to protect their ankles and legs and try to give snakes at least several feet of distance, keeping their children and pets close to them, he told the outlet.
People who encounter snakes on trails should back up and wait for at least 30 seconds for the snake to move before proceeding, Bonnell told KDVR. In some cases, that might mean turning back altogether.
Officials also suggest that people bitten by snakes try to get a picture of the snake involved or otherwise do their best to remember what it looks like. Drew Vrbenec, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told Colorado Public Radio that the prairie rattlesnake – the most common venomous snake in the state – can easily be mistaken for the non-venomous bullsnake.