VALLEY CENTER, Calif. (KGTV) — A 9-year-old boy was hospitalized Tuesday after being bitten by a snake outside his home in the far North County of San Diego.
The incident happened around 3:45 p.m. in the 12000 block of Mesa Verde Drive in Valley Center, according to Chief Joe Napier of Valley Center Fire Protection District.
Chief Napier said the 9-year-old was getting ready for baseball practice when a baby Southern Pacific rattlesnake bit them on their lower leg.
The child's condition was not immediately known, but he's expected to be okay.
The department said he was transported to Rady Children's via medical helicopter for evaluation and treatment.
This is the first rattlesnake bite of the year in the Valley Center area, said VCFPD.
Chief Napier said it's important for people to start being more cautious when gardening or pruning their trees or plants during this time of year.
He said to shake the trees or plants to avoid being bit. That is especially critical at dawn or nighttime because that's when baby rattlesnakes are born.
