More than 300 stings from Africanized bees left a Texas woman in a life-threatening emergency after a routine visit to a storage facility with her dog, KRIS reported.
Here's what to know
According to KRIS, a tree at a Rockport storage facility became the source of a sudden bee swarm when Kelly-McKee and her German Shepherd, Chelsea, made an otherwise normal visit to the site.
At first, while they were inside the storage unit, Kelly-McKee said she noticed what appeared to be a few normal honeybees on Chelsea. But when the pair stepped out of the unit, Kelly-McKee said they were "just absolutely inundated" with bees.
"So, she ran one way, and I ran the other way. I ran all around here just swatting and trying to get them off of me and screaming," Kelly-McKee said, per KRIS.
As she tried to flee, the facility's automatic gate stopped her; it opens only for cars, not people on foot. Thankfully, after seeing the attack on security video, the owner opened the gate remotely.
Soon after, Aransas County Sheriff's Deputy Will Newsom arrived on scene and got Kelly-McKee into his vehicle. Next, he took her to Lamar Fire Station, where he used a hose to remove the bees that were still on her.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Newsom said she had been stung more than 300 times, a potentially fatal number.
"I mean, one bee sting can be fatal to some people," he said, per KRIS. "She took over 300 stings, which is definitely in the fatal range."
"So, I knew that we had a limited amount of time to be able to get her out of the situation, get her to medical care," he continued.
More background
Though Africanized bees are commonly called "killer bees," their venom isn't stronger than that of regular honeybees.
Instead, they react more quickly to disturbances, attack in larger numbers, and sometimes chase people for as far as a quarter mile.
Making matters even worse, KRIS reported that the attack happened while Kelly-McKee was only four months into recovery from a fractured spine.
Rather than assign blame, Kelly-McKee said she wants people to understand the danger Africanized bees pose and how to protect themselves.
Where can I learn more?
Kelly-McKee's ordeal is one of several recent incidents involving Africanized bees and other aggressive stinging insects. These articles look at the spread of killer bees, a swarm used against police, and invasive hornets threatening hives in the Southeast and Europe.
• Across 13 states, experts warn killer bees are spreading and can unleash devastating attacks.
• In Massachusetts, a beekeeper was jailed after siccing a swarm on police during an eviction.
• In South Carolina, officials sounded alarms after yellow-legged hornets appeared and threatened local beehives.
• In Georgia, officials confirmed the first U.S. sighting of yellow-legged hornets threatening honeybees.
• In Europe, beekeepers turned to simple electric harps to fight invasive Asian hornets.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
