North Richland Hills man attacked by bees is allergic, expected to survive

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas — Beekeepers in North Richland Hills worked to contain multiple bee hives and wasp nests after a man and a woman were attacked by a swarm on Tuesday.

Police and firefighters were called at about 12:09 p.m. to the 8000 block of Cross Drive after a report of the two victims being swarmed by bees, officials said. 

According to neighbors, an older man in his 70s was doing yard work when he was swarmed by bees. A neighbor who asked not to be identified told WFAA she witnessed the bee attack and called 911. 

“I saw some bees, a lot of bees,” she said. “I looked down and saw a man on the floor on his side, and his face had blood all over it. I could tell he was coming in and out of consciousness. Then, his wife came out and I was already on dispatch. She was trying to pick her husband up. There were so many, it was like a scene from a horror movie. It was clumped on his face and all over his body as well. It happened so quickly.”

The neighbor said dispatchers urged her to tell the older woman to go back into the home. She stood outside until first responders arrived to help her neighbors. 

“A firefighter quickly came and tried to shovel with his hand part of the bees off of his face,” the neighbor said. “It was a terrible thing.” 

The North Richland Hills Fire Department took both victims to a local hospital with the help of local beekeepers, officials added. The man is in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon. The woman has been released from the hospital.

“I’ve been praying for him, that he’d be okay and his wife,” the neighbor who called 911 said. 

Beekeeper Eric Etheredge and his crew were called to the scene to safely remove the bees, wasps, and their hives. 

“We had to cut the tree open in order to get the bees out,” Etheredge said. “It’s summer, they don’t have much food source and they could be protecting their hives. So, it’s always safe when you see a bee hive to contact a beekeeper to safely remove the hives.”

Officials asked residents to avoid the area to avoid any further attacks as they worked to contain the nests and hives.