For the second time in six days, a hiker on a trail above Montecito has been rescued after being bitten by a rattlesnake.
At 3:40 p.m. Sunday, personnel from the Montecito Fire Protection District, Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue responded to the Buena Vista Trail for a hiker reportedly bitten by a rattlesnake.
The woman was approximately three-quarters of a mile up the trail when the snake bit her on the ankle, said Christina Atchison, Montecito Fire spokesperson.
The injured hiker did not have adequate cell service to call 9-1-1, but was able to send a text to a loved one, who then contacted emergency services.
“Dispatchers were able to communicate with the patient as she made her way down the trail,” Atchison said. “Because she had a whistle, dispatchers instructed her to blow it repeatedly to help first responders locate her.”
Montecito firefighters, along with Search and Rescue personnel, located the patient and transported her to the trailhead using a stokes basket and wheel.
From the trailhead, she was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital by an American Medical Response ambulance.
“This is the second snakebite-related emergency on a Montecito hiking trail this month. Remain vigilant and have an emergency plan in case of a bite,” Atchison added.
Sunday’s rescue occurred days after Montecito and other crews responded April 6 to another incident involving a snakebite victim located roughly 1.5 miles from the Cold Springs Trail trailhead on the Ridge Trail.
Hikers and others unable to reach 9-1-1 by phone can try text-to-911 or use satellite connectivity if available, Atchison said.
Emergency personnel also will need to know the patient’s location, including trail names and GPS coordinates, since more detailed information can significantly improve response times in an emergency.