Rattlesnake bites hiker in California, prompting countywide warning

Authorities in one California county are urging residents to be more careful after seven people in the area were bitten by rattlesnakes this year.

According to a Ventura County Fire Department Facebook post, The most recent rattlesnake incident occurred on Thursday, April 30, on the Long Canyon Trail in Simi Valley, California, approximately 34 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

One Statement sent to KABC-TVAndrew Dowd with VCFD said a woman reported a rattlesnake bite on her ankle and was subsequently airlifted to an area hospital in stable condition.

This is the seventh rattlesnake bite in Ventura County this year, all of which have occurred since mid-March, the fire department said.

The rattlesnake bite on the Long Canyon Trail is the latest incident in California this year. As of May 4, there have already been three rattlesnake deaths in the state. Normally, California averages zero or one fatal rattlesnake bite per year, meaning that despite approximately 500 to 800 incidents, deaths are very rare. Backpacker Magazine And San Luis Obispo Tribune.

A deadly year so far

In April, a 78-year-old woman in Northern California died after being bitten several times by a venomous snake. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to USA TODAY that the woman was bitten three times by the snake while walking in a rural area on April 8.

The woman was later transported to the hospital by family members and treated, according to the sheriff’s office. However, his health deteriorated and he was pronounced dead in hospital on 10 April.

More: Woman bitten three times by poisonous snake in California dies

according to Ventura County Star, part of the USA TODAY Network The second rattlesnake death of 2026 was a 46-year-old woman who died from a bite on March 19. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office said the woman’s cause of death was determined to be rattlesnake venom poisoning.

This year’s first rattlesnake death occurred when a 25-year-old man died weeks after being bitten by a rattlesnake while mountain biking with his father in Irvine, California, in February. GoFundMe page and local television station KABC-TV.

What to do if bitten by a rattlesnake

If bitten by a rattlesnake, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Poison Control System to recommend:

• Stay as calm as possible and don’t panic.

• Move away from the snake to avoid further bites.

• For further advice, call the Poison Helpline at 1-800-222-1222.

• Sit or lie down and hold the bitten area below your heart.

• Do not use a tourniquet, try to suck out the venom, or cut the bite area.

• Do not apply ice or heat to the bite area.

The CDC urges people to seek emergency medical care as soon as possible “to initiate antidote (if necessary) and stop irreversible damage.” Most people make a full recovery after receiving an antidote, according to wildlife and health officials.

Contributor: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. He is USA TODAY’s trending news reporter. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Southern California region reports seventh rattlesnake bite of 2026