A California hiker was airlifted to the hospital after being stung by fire ants on a trail.
The Montecito Fire Department and Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue rushed to help the injured woman Tuesday morning at the West Fork of the Cold Springs Trail.
She had “suffered an allergic reaction after coming into contact with fire ants,” Montecito Fire wrote in a Facebook post.
A Santa Barbara County helicopter found the hiker before firefighters could reach her on foot, and a rescuer was lowered to “hoist her out,” according to authorities.
“She was flown to the hospital for further medical treatment,” the fire department said.
The hiker’s current condition is not clear.
One person who commented on the fire department’s Facebook post said, “Thank you for everything you do.”
The Cleveland Clinic warns that, while it’s rare, fire ant bites can cause life-threatening reactions. The painful, itchy bites are usually found on a person’s legs and feet, according to experts.
A fire ant is a red-tinged insect, according to the medical center, and its size ranges from about 1 millimeter, or about the tip of a pencil, to 5 mm, around the size of a pencil eraser. It has six legs and two pinching mandibles that protrude from its head. It has a pouch of venom and a stinger on its rear end.
A person usually gets bitten by a fire ant when they step on the ground where the bugs live, and their skin is exposed, the Cleveland Clinic explains.
Fire ant bites first cause a burning or stinging sensation, followed by itchy bumps or welts that eventually turn into blisters, experts say. These blisters usually clear up in about a week.
In the rare case that a fire ant bite causes anaphylaxis, the person may experience dizziness and a decrease in blood pressure, the Cleveland Clinic warns. They may even lose consciousness or go into cardiac arrest.
