Idaho man tries fixing waterline at mother’s home, unaware he would end up on the verge of death, left to write last letters to his kids

Chris Howarth is currently navigating a long and difficult recovery process after a routine garden task in Oroville, California, turned into a life-threatening medical emergency. What started as a simple effort to repair a broken waterline at his mother’s home on May 26, 2026, resulted in a rattlesnake encounter that required over 50 doses of antivenom to treat.

According to 10 WBNS and KTLA 5, Howarth was visiting his parents in California. The Idaho resident was actually preparing to head home with his wife, Jenny, and their children when he noticed a broken water line in his mother’s backyard. He decided to take care of it. Per KTLA, the weather had been particularly wet, which had likely dampened the sound of the snake’s rattler. So, Howarth didn’t hear the warning sign that usually alerts people to the danger.