Rattlesnake Danger Growing in Southern California After Second Deadly Bite in Weeks

A deadly pattern is beginning to emerge on Southern California trails.

In just a matter of weeks, multiple rattlesnake encounters have turned dangerous, and two people have died after being bitten.

Others have narrowly survived their own harrowing encounters. The incidents are raising new concerns about an uptick in dangerous encounters with venomous snakes.

According to a report from People magazine, a 46-year-old woman died after a bite earlier this month.

Gabriela Bautista was hiking at Wildwood Regional Park in Ventura County on March 14.

According to KTLA, she was bitten just before noon and was airlifted to a hospital, but died five days later, on March 19.

Officials said the cause was rattlesnake venom toxicity.

Her death came as another bite was reported nearby.

A teenage girl was bitten near the Wendy Drive Trailhead in Thousand Oaks, California, on March 20.

First responders reached her on the trail and