California Rattlesnake Bite: California woman Linda Martin was trimming roses barefoot when a rattlesnake bit her; within 45 seconds tingling reached her jaw and tongue, and three failed 911 calls forced her husband to drive her to hospital
A Stevenson Ranch woman was rushed to the hospital after a rattlesnake that jumped out of her garden bit her. Cutting roses was part of her evening ritual, but it turned out to be nearly fatal.On Saturday evening, 25 July, Linda Martin stepped into her garden as the sun dipped low, ready to prune the roses. “My therapy is cutting roses at the end of the day. I went out and was about to trim a few roses and bring them in,” the woman told CBS. But she never made it past the first bush.“I went and lifted the bush, and that’s when I saw the rattler,” Martin said. With a warning rattle, or hiss, the rattlesnake struck her. The pain was sudden and was followed by a burning sensation. By the time she realised what had happened, her body was already responding. Within 30 to 45 seconds, tingling crept into her fingertips. The sensation spread quickly into her jaw, her cheeks and her tongue. Within a minute, she was on the floor of her home, shaking and trying desperately to call for help. She dialled 911, but the signal failed. She tried again. “Dialled a second time, it didn’t even connect,” she said. Her third attempt finally made it through, but the precious seconds had already slipped away. So her husband asked her to get in the car. He grabbed her and made for Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. In less than 10 minutes, they arrived at the emergency room, and she was given antivenom. Had he not been home, had he been at work or running an errand, the outcome could have been dramatically different.
A growing concern
The woman’s encounter isn’t an isolated incident, according to experts. “Last year, we had a little over 400 calls about rattlesnake bites. And so far, in the first six months of 2026, we’ve had 250 calls,” Lee Cantrell, a director at the California Poison Control System, told the broadcaster. Cantrell added that the state is on track to record 20% more rattlesnake bites this year than last. Five to 10 deaths from venomous snakes occur nationwide annually, he said. This year, California has already logged three deaths.“This year, we had a kind of warm early spring, and so that could have fostered rattlesnakes coming out of hibernation earlier,” Cantrell said.According to Cantrell, rattlesnakes do not have good eyesight. So, when they are hungry and feel warmth nearby, they strike. In Martin’s case, the snake would have mistaken her toe for prey.
Need for prompt response
Though Martin is safe and back home now, she is visibly shaken by the experience. “Had my husband not been home, and I was here alone, I don’t know what would have happened,” she said. She also added that the incident has taught her to push for better mobile service in her community. She is considering reinstalling a landline and is definitely investing in boots for gardening. “I was laughing. Next time in the garden, I’m going to wear a hazmat suit, because I’m afraid to go. But I certainly won’t go gardening without wearing boots,” Martin said.If you are bitten by a snake, medical professionals stress one principle: stay calm and move away from the snake while restricting movement. Restricting movement slows the spread of venom through your body. Do not apply a tourniquet or a heat pad to the wound. Those instinctive responses do more harm than good. Instead, get to a hospital as soon as possible and receive antivenom.
