Bees Swarm Firefighters, Stings Send Woman To Hospital

LAKE FOREST, CA — A large swarm of bees in Lake Forest stung at least three people and sent a woman to the hospital Monday, fire officials said. The massive swarm was reported in the 2300 block of Buckland Lane at about 10:30 a.m. A 50-year-old woman who had just arrived to clean a home was stung "hundreds of times" as she removed supplies from her trunk, OCFA Capt. Tony Bommarito said.

The woman's coworker tried to pat her down to get the bees off, but it didn't help, according to Bommarito. When firefighters arrived, they raced to the victim's aid. The firefighters began spraying the woman with carbon dioxide to remove the bees, but in the process, were both stung.

"Neither were wearing full gear upon arrival, but raced to aid the woman when they arrived," Bommarito told Patch.

All three were transported to Saddleback Hospital, where the woman was in critical condition. The two firefighters were in stable condition. There was no word as to whether the coworker was stung.

Two other firefighters who were stung "just a few times" and each declined a trip to a hospital, Bommarito said. A company that specializes in handling bees was called to the scene to remove an estimated 10 pounds of hives and spray the area, Bommarito said.

The hives were "completely hidden," Bommarito said. The bee expert estimated 60,000 to 80,000 bees inhabited the hives at the Lake Forest residence.

"It looks like she opened her trunk right next to the hives," Bommarito said of the victim, who was listed in critical condition but was expected to survive, according to her son.

The firefighters, who are being hailed as heroes, both made a selfless decision to think of the victim before giving thought to themselves.

"They did an excellent job," Bommarito said of the firefighters. "I hate to use the cliche that they made a life-or-death decision, but that's just what they did. Hopefully maybe she lives based on what they did."

OCFA Photo