Rescuers rushed to save a female hiker who texted a loved one pleading for help after she was attacked by a rattlesnake on a Southern California trail.
The Montecito Fire Department said it had responded to reports of an injured hiker who was bitten by a rattlesnake around 3:38pm on April 12 at Kings Canyon National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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.
This was the second snakebite reported on a Montecito trail this month.
It also marked the seventh rattlesnake attack in Southern California in about six weeks, KTLA reported, including two fatalities.
An unidentified woman was attacked by a rattlesnake while three-quarters of a mile up the Buena Vista Trail and had to be rescued out
The Montecito Fire Department said it responded to reports of an injured hiker bitten by a rattlesnake on April 12 at Kings Canyon National Park
This was the seventh rattlesnake attack reported in Southern California in about six weeks (File photo of a rattlesnake in California)
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.
An update on her condition was not immediately provided.
The Montecito Fire Department urged hikers to know their location by trail name and be aware of their GPS coordinates.
Officials also said those unable to call 911 should try text-to-911 or attempt to connect via satellite to reach emergency personnel.
This rescue followed another incident on April 6 when firefighters were called to the Cold Spring Trail area after a hiker was injured from a snake bite, the Santa Barbara Independent reported.
That hiker was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital by county helicopter and their condition was not released.
The latest bite comes during a recent spike in rattlesnake attacks across Southern California, including two fatal encounters.
Last month, a 25-year-old mountain biker died following a rattlesnake bite near the Quail Hill Trailhead in Irvine.
Julian Hernandez, 25, was biking near the Quail Hill Trailhead in Irvine at around 11am on February 1 when a snake struck.
Hernandez was rushed to the hospital and fell into a coma for more than a month, before dying from his injuries on March 4.
Video released by the Montecito fire services showed about ten responders taking the woman to safety using a Stokes basket and wheel system
Rattlesnake encounters have been on the rise this year in California because of what experts say is unusually warm weather (File photo of a rattlesnake)
Kings Canyon National Park is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Ten days later, a 46-year-old Moorpark woman died when she was bitten at Wildwood Regional Park.
Gabriela Bautista, 46, was hiking when the venomous snake attacked her around noon.
Bautista was airlifted to Los Robles Regional Medical Center and died five days later, according to KCAL.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office said Bautista had succumbed to venom from the rattlesnake bite.
Rattlesnakes are active all year long in California but are less visible during wintertime.
When temperatures get warm in the spring, rattlesnakes are much more frequently seen during the day, which has been especially noticeable this year.
The California Poison Control System has reported 77 calls of rattlesnake bites in just the first three months of 2026, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Typically, the center reports 200 to 300 rattlesnake bites per year.
Gabriela Bautista, 46, was trekking in Wildwood Regional Park when she was bitten by a rattlesnake. She later died as a result
Julian Hernandez, 25, of Costa Mesa, was biking Quail Hill Trailhead on February 1 when he was bitten by a rattlesnake
Experts have said that this year's 'unusually warm weather' had led to the rise in rattlesnake sightings and strikes around Southern California.
'With good plant growth, rodent populations are doing well, so the snakes have good food sources and warm temperatures that are triggering more surface activity,' Greg Pauly, a reptile expert at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, told the outlet.
Pauly added that rattlesnakes 'tend to be in less developed areas, which is why they are often seen while people are out hiking in wildland areas.'
California is home to seven species of rattlesnake, according to the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife.
They can be found anywhere from the coast to rural areas, including golf courses.
About 7,000-8,000 people are bitten every year by venomous snakes in the US, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Only about five of those people die, though that number would be higher if individuals 'did not seek medical care,' the CDC said.
Long-term injuries are much likelier than death, with about 10-44 percent of those bitten by a rattlesnake having 'lasting injuries,' according to the public health agency.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Montecito Fire Department for further comment.