Overview
- Ventura County’s medical examiner confirmed Wednesday that Gabriela Bautista, 46, died March 19 from rattlesnake venom toxicity after a March 14 bite at Wildwood Regional Park.
- The U.S. Forest Service issued a regional alert Wednesday, saying warmer temperatures are increasing snake activity and urging hikers to watch their step and keep pets close.
- Ventura County Fire Department reports four bite calls since March 14, including a teenage girl rescued near the Wendy Drive trailhead on March 20 who was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
- Officials say heat is bringing snakes out earlier in the day, and they advise calling 911 right away for any suspected bite, keeping the victim still, and avoiding tourniquets, cutting the wound, ice, or attempts to suck out venom.
- The latest death follows the March 4 death of 25-year-old Julian Hernandez after a February 1 bite in Irvine, even as CDC data show 7,000–8,000 venomous bites a year in the U.S. with about five deaths.