East County Toddler Bit by Rattlesnake; Airlifted for Treatment

BOULEVARD, CA: A rattlesnake struck a toddler Tuesday in the rural East County, sending the child to a hospital.

Emergency crews were called to the area of Ribbonwood Road and Interstate 8 in Boulevard about noon to tend to the stricken child, according to Cal Fire.

Medics airlifted the youngster, believed to be 2 or 3 years old, to Rady Children's Hospital, said Kendal Bortisser, a fire captain with the state agency.

The victim's gender, condition and prognosis were not released, and the conditions under which the snakebite occurred were unclear, according to Bortisser.

—City News Service; Photo: Shutterstock