BLACK CANYON CITY, Ariz. — A brave Valley boy is recovering after he was bitten by a rattlesnake last weekend in Black Canyon City.
Samantha Lynch says her family was out for a hike on Easter Sunday when her 7-year-old son Braxton was standing by a bush as danger crept in.
"It felt like a cactus scratching me," Braxton tells.
Braxton didn’t see what got him, but there was a big telltale sign.
"We heard it rattle," Samantha says. "Eventually we told him to move away slowly but it was too late by that."
Braxton was bitten by a rattlesnake.
"I’ve been living here my whole life and I didn’t even know what to do," Samantha explains. "I just got 911 on the phone."
She and her husband were taking turns carrying him down the trail when they say a man named James jumped in with his four-wheeler and drove them all quickly to the first responders at the bottom.
His mom says Braxton was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital and given 5 doses of anti-venom.
If you want to help the family with recovery, some of their friends set up a GoFundMe page.
"He’s just so strong and brave," Samantha shares. "They’ve never seen a kid acting the way he acted with a snakebite before."
She says Braxton is already doing physical therapy to help with his walking again. They're all happy he's safe at home recovering.
"It's amazing because I’ve heard horror stories about snake bites. I’m just glad things turned out better, not worse."
The Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary in Scottsdale says the best thing to do if you encounter a snake on a trail is slowly back away. Even the most dangerous snakes can strike about 2 ft. away, so if you're beyond that distance, you should be able to pass by. They also encourage hikers to keep their eyes and ears open to anticipate any snakes on the trail
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