Tragedy struck Wednesday, Aug. 26 when first responders were called to respond to a bee attack on North Post Oak in Dublin when a group was clearing brush near the railroad tracks and accidentally disturbed a nest in a barrel.
Detective Nanci Wilson said there was initial confusion because the address in the 400 block of Post Oak indicated the Dublin ISD admin building. A person on scene directed them behind the field across the street.
“We go behind and see two guys and ask if they got stung,” Wilson recalled. “They said, ‘Yeah, but that guy might be dead.’” Wilson said she then saw a 61-year-old man lying on his back.
“I drove up and they were just attacking my car,” Chief Cameron Ray said.
Wilson directed responders on scene back in their vehicle to establish a safe distance as they prepared to remove the man laying on the ground. In spite of this, several first responders also received stings.
“We could not get out of the car there were so many bees swarming,” Wilson said. She took a photo indicating the distance where they were getting attacked and estimated that people were still being swarmed as much as 50-60 yards away.
Ray said Dublin PD was joined by Dublin Volunteer Fire Department and EMS and a bee suit was provided for responders to get to the victim.
A volunteer firefighter suited up and they taped everything up so bees couldn’t get inside.
Ray said they then went to the man who had faint breathing. They extricated him and put him in the back of the ambulance.
“They began rendering medical treatment but it was ultimately unsuccessful,” Ray said.
Ray and Wilson said even with the initial confusion of location, the time from the phone call to extrication was about 11 minutes. The officers said he had received hundreds of stings.
“They picked him up with a backboard and they backed the truck up and put him in there and then drove the truck to the ambulance,” Wilson said. “The bees even through all that stayed around him and stinging him.”
Some even managed to get inside the ambulance while medical aid was being rendered.
The victim was part of a crew clearing brush with a skidsteer, power tools and by hand when they got near the nest in a 55-gallon barrel. Three other workers also received medical treatment for stings.
Ray reported Erath County provided additional bee suits so the barrel could be sprayed with protein foam.
“It calmed them down,” Ray said, adding that the school got in contact with a beekeeper for removal.
Ray called the scene and the loss of the victim tragic because the swarm made it difficult to get to him.
“I think everybody that jumped out and tried to help got stung a bunch,” Ray said.
In previous reporting, Texas AgriLife reporters advised if attacked by bees, you should cover your face and move out of the bees’ territory as quickly as possible.
European bees usually defend an area within 100 yards of the colony, while (the much less common) Africanized bees will defend an area within 400 yards of the colony.
Taking shelter in a car or house is often the best strategy, even though a few bees may follow. Do not try to trick the bees by hiding or playing dead because they will continue the attack as long as you are within their territory.
Once away from the attack, remove the stingers as soon as possible. Stingers should be scraped out with a fingernail or some other sharp object.
Stingers continue to inject venom for many minutes after the initial sting. The sooner a stinger is removed, the less venom will be injected. If you experience hives, difficulty breathing or other signs of an allergic reaction, you should seek medical attention immediately.
The job of collecting a swarm or managing a colony in a building should be left to skilled professionals. Professionals have the tools and equipment to do a proper job.