Phoenix Fire Technical Rescue crews responded to Camelback Mountain in Phoenix yesterday morning after receiving a 911 call about a group of hikers who had been attacked by a swarm of bees.
Rescue crews arrived at Cholla Trailhead around 9:15am and found multiple victims of bee sting. Ground cews worked in conjunction with a helicopter from Phoenix Police to locate victims. At least eight people were stung multiple times by bees. One of the victims was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
A hiker on the trail captured video of the incident as several people waved their arms and shook their heads as the swarm attacked:
Trails at Camelback Mountain were temporarily closed to the public and reopened around 4:00pm. Signs reading “Bees are present in the area, please use caution!” were posted at the entrance of Cholla Trailhead.
What To Do In A Bee Swarm Attack:
- RUN away quickly. Do not stop to help others. Small children and the disabled may need some assistance. As you are running, pull your shirt up over your head or use your arms to protect your face. This will help keep the bees from targeting the sensitive areas around your eyes, nose and ears.
- Do not swat at the bees or flail your arms. Bees are aggravated by movement and crushed bees emit a smell that will attract more bees.
- Continue to RUN towards an enclosed shelter, such as a vehicle or building. A few bees may follow you indoors but they will attempt to fly to windows. Running to dark or shady spots may help to confuse the bees. Do not jump into water. The bees will wait for you to come up for air. If you are trapped for some reason, cover up with blankets, sleeping bags, clothes, or whatever else is immediately available.
- Once you have reached shelter or outrun the bees, remove all stingers. When a honey bee stings, it leaves its stinger in the skin. This kills the honey bee so it can’t sting again, but it also means that venom continues to enter into the wound for a short time.
Do not pull stingers out with tweezers or your fingers. This will only squeeze more venom into the wound. Instead, scrape the stinger out sideways using your fingernail, the edge of a credit card, a dull knife blade or other straight-edged object. - If you see someone being attacked by bees, encourage them to run away or seek shelter. Do not attempt to rescue them yourself. Call 911 to report a serious stinging attack. The emergency response personnel in your area have probably been trained to handle bee attacks.
