Bee Swarm Stings 2 People, Dog Hundreds of Times in RivCo

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA - A swarm of bees went after two people and a dog in Norco Thursday, stinging all three multiple times before firefighters were able to subdue them with foam, officials report.

According to April Newman with the Riverside County Fire Department, the agency was called out to the 1000 block of Parkridge Avenue regarding an "active bee attack" at 11:15 a.m. Thursday.

"Firefighters arrived to find two victims and a small dog actively being stung by bees," she reported. "Firefighters deployed hose lines with foam to knock down the bees."

Newman said four engine crews from the county, as well as the city of Corona, were sent to the location and found the victims under siege from the enraged bees.

"One patient was transported by ground ambulance to an awaiting hospital with minor injuries," she said. "The second victim declined treatment and transportation and took her dog to a local Veterinarian."

The pooch was taken to a Norco veterinarian, who counted more than 300 bee stings on the animal, according to the fire department.

The dog's condition was not immediately known.

A private vector control service was summoned and removed the bee hive in a nearby tree trunk, officials said.

It's unclear whether the hive was disturbed by the victims, or exactly what stirred the bees.

– City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Flickr user allen watkin, used under creative commons license