A man from Idaho needed to receive 54 rounds of antivenom from two different hospitals after being bitten by a rattlesnake in California, according to his GoFundMe.
Chris Howarth, a husband and father of three, was visiting his parents in California with his family when he was bit twice by a rattlesnake in his parents’ garden, the GoFundMe stated. He was hospitalized for six days at the Oroville Hospital in Oroville, California, where he received 36 rounds of antivenom before being airlifted around 185 miles to Stanford Medical Center, where he received another 18 rounds, per Los Angeles local news outlet KTLA.
A GoFundMe was created to help support Howarth and his family as he recovers, and it has raised $4,507 of its $8,000 goal.
The bite comes after three people have died after being bitten by rattlesnakes in California, according to the California Poison Control System.
The CPCS reports an increase in snake encounters in California in 2026, with three fatalities reported so far due to a heatwave that made rattlesnakes more active.
“The number of bites and fatalities this early in the year underscores the importance of awareness and prevention,” Dr. Rais Vohra, the medical director for the Fresno/Madera Division of CPCS, said in a statement.
On average, only one rattlesnake-related death is reported in California each year.