A four-year-old boy who was bitten in the foot by a rattlesnake this morning is undergoing his second round of antivenin but is in stable condition, authorities said.
Just before 9 a.m., Northwest Fire District received reports of a child who had been bitten by a snake at Crossroads Park, in the area of North Silverbell Road and North Cortaro Road, said department spokesman Captain Adam Goldberg.
While an engine and rescue unit were en route to the park, they received notice that the mother had taken the child to an urgent care center on Silverbell.
The unit rerouted and met the family at urgent care, then transported the child to Banner-University of Arizona Medical Center where he was admitted to the pediatric emergency room, Goldberg said.
According to the boy's mother, the family, including the boy's 6-year-old sister, were walking into the park on the sidewalk. The snake was located in the gravel just next to the path and bit the boy's foot as he walked by.
The boy is still in the pediatric emergency room at Banner, but will be admitted to Diamond Children's Hospital later today, Goldberg said.
In an effort to cut back on accidents like this, parents are advised to constantly remind small children about snakes- what they look like, what they sound like and places where they might be encountered, he said.
