CBS LA July 27, 2026 Video: Linda Martin

Linda Martin was just trying to trim her roses when her security cameras captured her getting bitten by a rattlesnake outside her Stevenson Ranch home over the weekend. While rattlesnakes are active year-round in Southern California, experts say sightings and dangerous encounters are occurring earlier and more frequently than usual in 2026. I went and lifted the bush and when I did, I saw the rattler. No warning, not even a rattling sound, just sudden pain and a burning sensation. Within 30 to 45 seconds, I started feeling the tingling in my fingertips and then it moved to 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 and it didn't even connect. Dialed a third time and that's when my husband looked at me and said, 'Just get in the car.' Within 10 minutes, they arrived at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital ER, where she was given anti-venom. Experts say her story isn't so rare nowadays. Last year, 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 with California Poison Control says the state is on track to see 20% more rattlesnake bites compared to last year. He says rattlesnakes don't have good eyesight when they're hungry and feel warm nearby, they strike. Unfortunately for Martin, her toe was likely mistaken for prey. She says if this incident had taught her a lesson, it'd be to fight for better cell service in her community, get a landline and better protect herself. She says, 'I'll certainly not be gardening without wearing a hazmat suit because I'm afraid to go, but I'll certainly not be gardening without wearing a hazmat suit.' She says if this incident has taught her a lesson, it'd be to fight for better cell service in her community, get a landline and better protect herself. She says, 'I'll certainly not be gardening without wearing a hazmat suit because I'm afraid to go, but I'll certainly not be gardening without wearing a hazmat suit.'