Four people were attacked by a swarm of between 20,000 and 30,000 bees in New Port Richey, Florida, on Sunday, according to reports. Three of the victims were sent to the hospital.
"They were covered in bees, their beards, their hair, their clothes -- bees were everywhere," neighbor Tom Johnson told 10 News.
Some of the victims may have been trying to take honey from the hive, according to the news station.
The three men who were hospitalized were stung up to 50 times each, Tampa Bay Online reported. The fourth victim, a woman who had been coming out of her home, was stung about a dozen times.
"I saw my neighbor's brother on the ground rolling, covered in bees, all over his face." Alison Osteen, a neighbor who called 911, told the local ABC station. The dispatcher advised her against leaving the house so as to not be stung herself.
"He was screaming for help and I just yelled, 'Help is on the way,'" Osteen told the station.
Firefighters used a hose on the bees, but a beekeeper said he would have to wait a day before attempting to remove the hive, Patch reported.
New Port Richey is located on Florida's Gulf Coast, about 40 miles north Tampa.
The National Ag Safety Database has information on how to be safe around bees, and what to do if you're stung.
Related
Before You Go
