Helicopter rushes to save hiker bitten by rattlesnake, California rescuers say

A rattlesnake bit a 26-year-old woman on the foot as she hiked with her dog near Santa Barbara, California firefighters reported.

A Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office helicopter airlifted the hiker to a hospital, the Montecito Fire Department reported on Instagram.

The woman had hiked about a mile and a half up the Romero Canyon Trail before encountering the venomous snake at 9:10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, firefighters wrote.

While rescuing the woman, the helicopter crew spotted a bear in the brush nearby.

“Bear sightings have been increasingly frequent in our community over the past few weeks,” the post read. “As the weather warms up, wildlife is coming out. Please use caution while hiking, be hyper vigilant of your surroundings and maintain awareness of your location.”

Montecito firefighters hiked out with the woman’s dog, which was turned over to animal control officers to be reunited with its owner, the post said.

Social media posts by the woman’s family indicate she was released from the hospital and is recovering at home.

“Thank you so much fire/rescue you have saved our lil girl,” read one comment on the Instagram post.

Montecito is a community of 8,600 people about five miles northeast of Santa Barbara.

This story was originally published May 16, 2023 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Helicopter rushes to save hiker bitten by rattlesnake, California rescuers say."