Car crash stirs up bee swarm

Sunisa 08-06-2006

A teenage driver in the US crashed a four-wheel drive into a hollow tree and stirred up tens of thousands of angry honey bees, creating a swarm that sent her and nine others to the hospital.

"Those bees were mad," said Volunteer Fire Chief Kent Gilbert, who was stung at least 50 times while trying to pull the 16-year-old driver from the wreckage.

"I've never seen bees, especially honeybees, attack like that."

Jacqueline Cossairt's SUV slammed into the tree on Wednesday after she lost control on a gravel road about 16 kilometres south of Fort Wayne, Indiana. By the time rescuers arrived, a black cloud of buzzing insects had engulfed the car, forcing firefighters to wear full safety gear - complete with oxygen tanks and face masks - despite hight summer temperatures.

Safety workers doused the bees with water and foam while they tried to free Cossairt, who was taken to a nearby hospital with broken legs and multiple bee stings.

A neighbour, a paramedic and seven firefighters, were also hospitalised for bee stings and heat-related symptoms.

"You can't really train for that. You don't really know. You look for downed power lines. You don't look for a million bees," said Master Trooper Bob Brophy, commander of the Indiana State Police's Fort Wayne post.

Bee expert Stan Grove, a biology professor at Goshen College, said the insects are most active in warm weather when they furiously fan their wings to cool the temperature of the hive.

"They don't like to be jostled," Grove said.

Sugarlipz

My goodness! How awful, that happened to lady here in alvin last year! She was mowing the lawn and wrecked into them. Pobresita she was in the hospital for weeks!

BonitaPajarita

Damn that really sucks.

I mean your dealing with someones life and trying to help them and then you got some pissy bee's in your way. How scary is that!

I like when he says....
NO SHIT SHIRLOCK....YOU THINK!