Rattlesnake Bites Toddler, Hiker Falls 30 Feet: Tales From The Wilderness

Southwest Riverside County is surrounded by vast open space and national forest lands, which make for excellent outdoor excursions.

But two incidents Saturday at Mountain Center near Idyllwild serve as reminders that residents are not without risk in the wilderness.

The first incident involved a toddler whose finger was bit by a rattlesnake. Firefighters were dispatched at 1:43 p.m. to the Pine Springs Ranch at Apple Ranch Road, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Melody Hendrickson reported.

A doctor went to the scene with anti-venom, and the boy was flown to an area hospital with stable life signs, according to Hendrickson.

About 30 minutes later, a man fell 20 to 30 feet off a location in Humber Park. Firefighters were dispatched at 2:18 p.m. to the area near Mountain Center, where the man was later found. Firefighters hiked down the area and contacted the man, whose injuries -- if any -- were not disclosed, Hendrickson said.  

Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene until approximately 7 p.m. as the man is scheduled to be flown out to an area hospital, Hendrickson added.

There was no word on what the man was doing at the time he fell. --City News Service and Toni McAllister contributed to this report.