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A Southern California family is urging people to stay alert after their 3-year-old daughter was bitten by a rattlesnake hiding beneath an Amazon package outside their home, the latest in a string of snakebite incidents during an unusually active season across the state.
The frightening encounter comes weeks after a hiker was airlifted from a remote Ventura County trail following a rattlesnake bite.
Earlier this year, Ventura County firefighters told Fox News Digital they had responded to seven rattlesnake bites in roughly a month, and officials attributed the increase to warmer weather that has driven snakes out earlier than usual.
Manuel Barajas said his daughter, Addy, ran outside after her mother told her an Amazon package had been delivered and tossed over the family’s front gate. As the 3-year-old reached for the padded envelope, a Southern Pacific rattlesnake concealed beneath it bit her on the left hand.
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Her mother rushed Addy to a nearby grocery store parking lot, where paramedics met the family before transporting her to a hospital. She was later transferred to a pediatric intensive care unit, where she spent two days receiving additional doses of antivenom.
Wildlife experts say an unusually warm spring has fueled increased rattlesnake activity across California this year, contributing to a rise in snakebite incidents and three reported snakebite deaths statewide.
The latest incident follows several other serious encounters this year. In May, a woman hiking in Ventura County was airlifted to a hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake on a remote trail. A Thousand Oaks woman also died in March after being bitten while hiking at Wildwood Regional Park.
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Health officials say anyone bitten by a rattlesnake should seek emergency medical care immediately, remain as still as possible and avoid attempting home remedies that can worsen the injury.
Barajas told Nexstar’s KTLA he hopes sharing his family’s experience will encourage others to stay vigilant around their homes and know which hospitals are equipped to treat pediatric snakebite emergencies.
“She’s doing great now. She’s, I want to say, about 70% recovered,” Barajas said. “She’s still bruised on her left hand where she was bitten. Her spirits are high, her demeanor is great, but she keeps asking why she was bitten by a snake.”
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A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help the family cover Addy’s medical expenses and lost income while she continues to recover.
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