An 81-year-old American man has described a horrific bee attack that lasted hours and left him with a broken hip.
Carl Amos said he was mowing the lawn at his home on 26 May when a swarm of bees descended on him, stinging the Oklahoma resident relentlessly for three hours.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Mr Amos recalled how he tried to escape the insects “because they were really coming down on me” but tripped and fell. When he saw blood gushing through his pants, Mr Amos said, he realised he’d broken something.
Lying on the ground – as the bees continued their assault – Mr Amos tried to call 911 but ended up typing the wrong passcode so many times, his phone was temporarily locked.
Hoping someone would notice, Mr Amos tried to remain calm and cover up as much of his body as possible, including using a gun holster to cover his eyes. Still, “the pain was excruciating”, he told the newspaper.
He also recalled the distress signal used in the wilderness, and fired the handgun towards the sky three times. To his dismay, no one came to his rescue.
“Lord, I need your help,” Mr Amos thought to himself. “Please help me.”
Three hours after the attack began, at around 1pm, his prayers were answered when workers from a nearby machinery company noticed Mr Amos while returning from their lunch break.
One of the employees of the Burford Corporation jumped over the fence to try and rescue Mr Amos, before the bees began stinging him. Together with his colleagues, including one person who was a beekeeper, he tried to protect Mr Amos’ face while waiting for assistance.
In the end, firefighters were able to disperse some of the bees. Mr Amos was taken to hospital where he underwent hip surgery and medical staff removed hundreds of stingers from his body.
While he was in hospital, a contractor discovered a hive of the killer bees high up in the chimney of Mr Amos’ home.
Sharing his advice and learnings, he urged others to have their houses routinely inspected and ensure they’re wearing gloves while mowing the lawn – something Mr Amos said he doesn’t see himself doing anytime soon.
