Hiker Suffers Possible Rattlesnake Bite On Trail Near Lake Hemet

LAKE HEMET, CA — A woman hiking south of Lake Hemet in the San Bernardino National Forest collapsed Wednesday after possibly being bitten by a rattlesnake and used her cell phone to summon paramedics.

The hiker, whose name was not released, called for help about 12:30 p.m. from the area of Morris Ranch Road and state Route 74, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Crews reached the woman by 1 p.m. and took her to a fire station along the highway, where she was evaluated. A battalion chief determined that the victim's injury required immediate medical attention, though no other details were provided.

Crews transported the hiker to county fire Station No. 30 in Mountain Center, where a Cal Fire helicopter was summoned to airlift her to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

The airlift was expected to occur shortly before 2 p.m.

— By City News Service