Stevenson Ranch woman bitten by rattlesnake while tending to her garden

A Stevenson Ranch woman was rushed to the hospital after a rattlesnake jumped out of her rose bushes and bit her this weekend. 

"My therapy is cutting roses at the end of the day," resident Linda Martin said. "I went out and was about to trim a few roses and bring them in."

Before Martin could even make one snip on Saturday night, she was racing for her life. 

"I went and lifted the bush, and that's when I saw the rattler," Martin said.

Martin said there was no warning, not even a rattling sound, just sudden pain and a burning sensation. 

"Within 30 to 45 seconds, I started feeling tingling in my fingertips," Martin said. "It moved into my jaw, my cheeks, my tongue."

A minute later, she was on the floor of her Stevenson Ranch home, trying to call 911, but her spotty cell signal failed to connect. 

"Dialed a second time, it didn't even connect," she said. "Dialed a third time, and my husband just said, 'Get in the car.'"

Within 10 minutes, they arrived at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital's emergency room, where she was given antivenom. Experts said her story is becoming more common now. 

"Last year, we had a little over 400 calls about rattlesnake bites," said Lee Cantrell, a director at the California Poison Control System. "And so far, in the first six months of 2026, we've had 250 calls."

Cantrell said the state is on track to see 20% more rattlesnake bites compared to last year. He said venomous snakes cause 5 to 10 deaths nationwide every year. So far this year, California has already seen three deaths in the first six months. 

"This year, we had kind of a warm early spring, and so that could have fostered rattlesnakes coming out of hibernation earlier," Cantrell said. 

He said rattlesnakes do not have good eyesight. When they're hungry and feel warmth nearby, they strike. Unfortunately for Martin, her toe was likely mistaken for prey. 

"Had my husband not been home, and I was here alone, I don't know what would have happened," Martin said. 

She said that if this incident has taught her a lesson, it'd be to fight for better cell service in her community, get a landline again and better protect herself. 

"I was laughing. Next time in the garden, I'm going to wear a hazmat suit, because I'm afraid to go," she said. "But, I certainly won't go gardening without wearing boots."

Experts urged anyone bitten to remain calm and get away from the snake while restricting movement. They warned against using a tourniquet or a heat pad on the wound. Importantly, they said to get to the hospital as soon as possible.