A quiet evening of trimming roses turned into a race against the clock for a Stevenson Ranch woman this past weekend. Linda Martin was doing what she calls her end-of-day therapy, cutting a few roses in her front yard, when she reached down to lift a bush and came face-to-face with a rattlesnake she never saw coming.
There was no rattle, no warning sound of any kind. Just a sudden, sharp pain followed by a burning sensation that spread fast. Within less than a minute, Martin said she felt tingling move from her fingertips up into her jaw, cheeks, and tongue. She dropped to the floor inside her home and tried to call 911, but her cell signal wouldn’t connect. Not once, not twice, but three times the call failed.
That’s when her husband made the call that likely saved her life: skip the phone, get in the car. They arrived at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital about ten minutes later, where doctors gave Martin antivenom treatment. She survived, but she’s now sharing her story as a warning to others heading into their own backyards this summer.
As it turns out, Martin’s close call is part of a bigger trend playing out across California this year, and it’s one worth paying attention to before your next yard project.
The Numbers Are Climbing Fast
Lee Cantrell with California Poison Control told CBS LA that the state logged just over 400 rattlesnake bite calls last year. In the first six months of 2026 alone, that number has already hit 250, putting California on pace for roughly a 20 percent jump in bites compared to last year.
Cantrell also noted the bites appear to be more dangerous this year. Venomous snakes typically cause five to ten deaths nationwide annually, but California alone has recorded three deaths just in the first half of this year.
Why This Year Is Different
Cantrell points to an unusually warm early spring as a likely culprit, suggesting it may have coaxed rattlesnakes out of hibernation ahead of schedule. He also explained that rattlesnakes don’t have great eyesight, so when they’re hungry and sense warmth nearby, they strike first and ask questions never.
Martin’s toe, unfortunately, was probably mistaken for a meal.
If it has taught her anything, it’s to have a landline or fight for better cell service in her neighborhood. She said: “If my husband weren’t home and I were here alone, I don’t know what would have happened.
“I was laughing and saying next time I garden I’ll wear a hazmat suit, I was so afraid to go. I will definitely not be gardening without boots.”
Our Take
Look, most of us aren’t thinking about snakes when we’re deadheading roses at sunset. That’s exactly what makes Martin’s story worth a read. She said it herself: if her husband hadn’t been home, she’s not sure what would have happened.
Her plan going forward is only half joking, a hazmat suit for gardening duty. We’d suggest something a little less dramatic: sturdy boots, a pair of gloves, a garden tool to check under bushes before you reach in, and maybe a landline as backup if your cell service is spotty. It’s not about living in fear of your own yard.
It’s just a good reminder that a little caution costs a lot less than an ER visit.