SAFFORD – Last Monday morning, around 8:30 am, an officer, along with the Fire Chief answered a call for help from a distressed beekeeper who was being attacked by bees. The officer put on a bee suit and arrived at the location around the same time as the fire chief. Upon arrival, the officer could see the victim being attacked by hundreds of bees. The Fire Chief used his PA System to advise the victim to leave the area. The officer had taped the ankles and sleeves of his bee suit to help prevent bees from entering under the the suit and drove as close to the victim as he could and quickly got out of the patrol car to tell the victim to get in the vehicle so the officer could drive him out of the area. At that moment, the officer then began getting attacked by hundreds of bees. The officer radioed for additional help to meet him and the victim on 1st Avenue. The officer could see the victim was in bad shape, as the bees had entered his suit and began stinging the man’s face and had entered the inside of his clothing as well. The victim stated he was having a hard time breathing. The officer could also feel his own hands being stung, even through the gloves he had put on.
When they met the Fire Chief on 1st Avenue, a fire extinguisher that was filled with soap water was used to knock the bees off of the victim and officer. The two men got into the back of the Chief’s truck and were driven out of the area and met with Lifeline ambulance at another location where they began treating the victim, who was then transported to the hospital. The officer went to the hospital for precautionary treatment and was released. It was reported the victim had been stung appropriately 300 times and would be staying in the hospital for observation.
