A grandmother was attacked by a swarm of bees outside her house, prompting a plumber to intervene, even if it meant getting stung himself.
According to a report by Fox 5 San Diego, Diosdado San Roque, who works for Happy Plumbing, had just finished a job and was driving through Santee. However, he and his partner encountered a swarm of bees while in their vehicle.
The outlet interviewed Kyle Ritchie, a resident, who explained the bees “started forming a clump on our tree.” He revealed that his mother-in-law ran into the house when a swarm of bees attacked her. Ritchie says that his wife’s grandmother was napping in the yard, and they rushed to check on her. “We came out and she was covered in bees,” Ritchie said.
Fox 5 shares dramatic dash cam footage. Ritchie and his wife sprayed Raid at the bees and reportedly poured rubbing alcohol on themselves for protection. San Roque quickly realized something was wrong and sprang into action. “I knew that’s somebody’s grandma. Like, I kinda had a flashback of my grandma and I knew I had to do something about it,” he said.
The dash cam video shows the grandma holding herself up against a parked car. The outlet explains that she was stung hundreds of times. She collapsed as the plumber approached, and he managed to catch her before she hit her head on the road.
Bees Reportedly Stung The Plumber At Least 30 Times
When San Roque dragged the woman away from the car, the bees reportedly swarmed him instead. His partner grabbed a fire extinguisher in an attempt to disperse the insects, but San Roque was still stung at least 30 times. The Santee Fire Department arrived at the scene roughly 10 minutes later. They dispersed the bees with the help of a helicopter unit.
Paramedics treated the woman at the scene, who had fallen unconscious. They gave her epinephrine and Benadryl before transporting her to Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Ritchie told the outlet, “She had a really bad reaction. She had hives all over her body, and her throat was closing up.”
Ritchie explained the worst part of their ordeal was being unable to help. He also noted that his mother-in-law had an allergic reaction and required medical attention. Fox 5 reveals that Ritchie’s family members stabilized in the hospital and are grateful to San Roque for stepping in to help a stranger.
Last month, approximately 14 million honey bees escaped after a truck driver misjudged a turn and the vehicle toppled in Washington. The Whatcom Sheriff’s Office enlisted expert beekeepers to help reset the hives. The incident prompted a road closure, with authorities telling people to stay away from the area.