Young Calgary girl recovering from rattlesnake bite
'I was more scared than hurt,' says 9-year-old Brie Lewis
A nine-year-old Calgary girl bitten by a rattlesnake last Friday in Dinosaur Provincial Park has nearly recovered from the ordeal.
Brie Lewis was airlifted to hospital where doctors administered six doses of anti-venom. She told CBC News she saw the snake just as it struck while cutting through a vacant campsite.
"I was more scared than hurt, I guess, and then we got to the visitors centre and it started hurting really badly when it started swelling up more," said Lewis.
Her father, Patrick Lewis, calls Brie a real trooper.
"I can't say I would have done as well as she has done throughout all this," he said. "She's been in good spirits... And she was really, really brave throughout the whole thing."
Lewis said she will be more cautious in the future.
"Watch out for rattlesnakes and watch where you step," she advised.
There have only been four reported cases of rattlesnake bites in the last two decades, according to park manager Andrew Hunt.