Bees sting man dozens of times as he flees, then collapses, California video shows

A police volunteer swats at bees swarming around his head, then collapses to the pavement as he tries to outrun the stinging insects, a dramatic California video shows.

The volunteer and another man also attacked by the massive bee swarm at 5:15 p.m. on Monday, May 15, in Encino were taken to a hospital, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The volunteer, who had gone to assist the other man, suffered dozens of stings, the Los Angeles Police Department said. He was in stable condition.

Firefighters notified nearby residents to stay indoors with doors and windows closed, the fire department said. Some streets also were closed.

A professional bee collector called to the scene removed a hive from under the roof of a home, KABC reported. The swarm may have numbered in the thousands, the station said.

“They’re just attacking everybody and they’re actively stinging as I myself have been stung today,” Brooks Putman with All Valley Honey & Bee told KTLA.

Encino is a Los Angeles neighborhood about 20 miles northwest of downtown.

This story was originally published May 16, 2023 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Bees sting man dozens of times as he flees, then collapses, California video shows."