A Los Angeles woman calls her time in her garden with her roses her “therapy.” However, after encountering a rattlesnake, that therapy session almost turned fatal. That’s because she was bitten on the toe by the snake when she was checking on her flowers.
Her security camera caught the scary incident on video, showing just how quickly a regular afternoon almost turned deadly for Linda Martin. The Stevenson Ranch woman shared her story with CBS News to raise awareness about what happened.
But she also has a surprising reason for wanting to tell her story, since she says she learned a valuable lesson from the snake bite. And it all happened while she was lying on the floor in her home trying to call 911.
Now, she says she may be advocating for better cell service in her community, since a bad connection could’ve cost Martin her life.
A Rattlesnake Mistook Martin’s Toe for Food
Martin was in her front garden inspecting her flowers when she suddenly felt a sharp, burning pain in her foot. “I went and lifted the bush, and that’s when I saw the rattler,” Martin recalled while talking to CBS News. The effects of the snake’s venom started setting in within 30 to 45 seconds, and she says she felt tingling in her fingertips first.
“It moved into my jaw, my cheeks, my tongue,” she continued, saying that she had to go into her home and lie down on the floor, which is where she tried to call 911, only she couldn’t complete the call.
Spotty Cell Service Prevented an Ambulance From Coming
Martin says she tried dialing 911 multiple times, but her phone wouldn’t connect. After three attempts, her husband told her to get in the car, and the couple raced to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, which they estimate took just 10 minutes to get to. There, she was given antivenom as part of her treatment process.
“Had my husband not been home, and I was here alone, I don’t know what would have happened,” she said. Adding that she is considering fighting for better cell service in her community and considering getting a landline.
Rattlesnake Bites Are Becoming More Common
The director of California Poison Control Systems says that calls about rattlesnake bites are on the rise. “Last year, we had a little over 400 calls about rattlesnake bites,” Lee Cantrell told CBS. “And so far, in the first six months of 2026, we’ve had 250 calls.”
He expects a 20 percent increase this year. But it’s not just Californians who are making headlines when it comes to rattlesnake bites. Just recently, a Montana man was bitten in the hand by a rattlesnake, requiring 24 vials of antivenom and a two-day stay at the hospital, according to KTVQ.
In both cases, the snake attacked without warning or making a sound, highlighting how unpredictable these attacks can be and the importance of staying aware of your surroundings when you’re visiting areas where these snakes frequent.