A California woman was airlifted to a hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake amid a spike in attacks. The victim, who has not yet been identified, was hiking in the Wood Ranch area of Simi Valley on Thursday when she encountered the reptile, ABC7 reported.
'Firefighters responded to a rattlesnake bite off Long Canyon trail in Wood Ranch today,' the Ventura County Fire Department wrote on Facebook. She reported a bite on her ankle and was flown to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
This marks the seventh victim in Ventura County to be bitten by the venomous snake since mid-March, according to the department. That far exceeds last year's reports when, in 2025, the county recorded a total of nine bites for the entire year.
Thursday's incident follows rescuers saving a female hiker who texted a loved one for help after being attacked by the reptile on a Southern California trail on April 12. The Montecito Fire Department responded to reports of an injured hiker who was bitten by a rattlesnake around 3:38pm at Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara.
The unidentified woman had been about three-quarters of a mile up the Buena Vista Trail when she was caught on the ankle, authorities said. She was unable to call 911 due to poor cellphone service but managed to send a text message to whom authorities described as a 'loved one,' who then contacted emergency services. Dispatchers told the woman to repeatedly blow a whistle to help the rescuers find her.
Video released by the fire department showed roughly ten responders carrying the woman to safety. Authorities said the unidentified woman was taken back to the trailhead using a Stokes basket and wheel system - a stretcher of sorts that is typically used in wild terrains - before being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.
California has already recorded three deaths from rattlesnake bites this year. In March, 46-year-old hiker Gabriella Bautista succumbed to venom from the snake bite. Bautista was hiking in Wildwood Regional Park on March 14, when the venomous snake struck just before noon. She was airlifted to Los Robles Regional Medical Center but died five days later, KCAL reported.
With the spike in rattlesnake activity, the Ventura County Fire Department shared safety information to keep residents safe. 'Rattlesnakes are active this time of year and often found on or near trails, in brush, and around rocks and logs,' the department said. 'Stay on marked trails and watch where you step, wear boots and long pants, [and] look before stepping over rocks or logs.' They advised that if someone is bitten by a snake, they should stay calm, limit movement, and call 911, and not use a tourniquet or try to remove the venom.
