6-year-old dies after rattlesnake bite on family bike ride in Colorado, officials say

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 anti-venom, 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.

How to identify a snake

Bullsnakes and rattlesnakes can look very similar but have several key differences, according to Sciencing. Notably, bullsnakes don’t have rattlers — they may vibrate their tails and produce a rattling type of sound when threatened, but they’re either making the sound with their mouths or by rustling dry leaves around them, the website said.

Bullsnakes will keep their tails low to the ground, according to Sciencing. Rattlesnakes, on the other hand, will raise their tails when rattling.

The snakes’ heads also look different. Rattlesnakes have a “large, triangular head that narrows dramatically at the neck,” while bullsnakes have narrower heads and thicker necks, according to Sciencing. However, bullsnakes may flatten their heads to try and look more like rattlesnakes when threatened, meaning that head shape may not be a conclusive clue.

The two animals also have distinctive eyes – rattlesnakes have forward-facing eyes with narrow, slit-like pupils, while bullsnakes have eyes on the sides of their heads and round pupils, according to Wenatchee Outdoors.

If you encounter a snake in the dark, it’s more likely to be a rattlesnake than a bullsnake, according to Sciencing. Bullsnakes forage during the day, while rattlesnakes wait for prey to come to them at night. However, both types of snakes can be seen during the day, according to the website.

Rattlesnakes tend to avoid humans and are generally not aggressive, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. Most snake bites occur when the animals are handled or accidentally disturbed while people are walking or climbing nearby.

Around 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, resulting in 10-15 deaths per year, the agency said, citing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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