A 4-year-old boy in North Carolina is recovering after being bitten by a venomous snake at his day care. At first, staff thought he just had a splinter.
The child was playing near a sandbox at New Beginnings Child Enrichment Center in Stony Point on Thursday, Sept. 4, when his hand started to swell, WSOCTV9 reported. Workers contacted his guardian, saying it might be a splinter or possibly a broken hand.
When the guardian arrived, however, the story changed. It turned out the boy had been bitten by a copperhead snake. Emergency services later confirmed they never received a 911 call about the bite.
“The director got up and said he got snakebit. My first thought was, why didn’t they call 911?” the boy’s aunt, Brook Cooper, told WSOCTV9. “My second thing was like, do the other parents even know?”
Alexander County 911 said they handle snake bites every year. While first responders don’t carry anti-venom, they can give important care before patients reach the hospital, according to WSOCTV9.
Family members rushed the boy to the hospital themselves. A day care worker later killed the snake before children returned to the playground.
Tiffany Robinson, co-director and owner of New Beginnings, released a statement on Facebook, saying the “safety and well-being” of every child is their top priority.
“During outdoor play on Thursday, the children were playing with the mulch on the playground when one child picked up a snake out of curiosity,” Robinson wrote. “The snake bit the child, but the child continued to play at first. Staff noticed the child shaking their hand and checked on it, thinking it might be a splinter from the mulch. Because our mulch is rubber, this seemed unusual, so the guardian was called right away.”
She added that at first the staff still thought it was a splinter, but after closer inspection, they realized it was a snake bite. The guardian was immediately called back to pick up the child.
Robinson said the playground was secured, the snake was removed, and the child received “timely treatment” once at the hospital.
“We want our families and community to know that this situation was handled quickly, responsibly, and with the child’s care at the center of every decision,” she wrote. “We are also working with local professionals to further ensure the safety of our outdoor spaces. We are grateful the child is recovering and appreciate the trust families place in us every day.”
Neither New Beginnings nor Alexander County 911 & Emergency Management immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Monday, Sept. 8.
According to the Mayo Clinic, anyone bitten by a venomous snake should call 911 or local emergency services right away. Victims should move away from the snake and take off any jewelry or tight clothing near the bite.
Symptoms often include pain, swelling, and skin color changes around the wound or up the limb. Some may also experience nausea, trouble breathing, or muscle weakness. Experts warn not to cut the wound or try to suck out venom, and not to tie off the bite area.
