Family survives bee attack, recovering in hospital

A family is recovering in a Mpumalanga hospital after being stung by hundreds of bees.

It is understood that the family (a couple and their three young daughters, one of them a toddler) were out enjoying a drive through the veld on a nature estate just south of Nelspruit on Sunday, 10 January 2021.

They apparently drove over a bee’s nest. The bees then swarmed and got into the vehicle through the open windows, which caused the family to panic and run.

“The oldest daughter, believed to be about 12 years of age, ran to a nearby farmhouse to get help whilst being continually stung,” ER24 spokesperson Ross Campbell said.

“The Oom of the farmhouse apparently sprayed her with water and told her to jump in the pool before calling for help. He also then drove down to see if he could find the others but had to turn back because of the swarm of angry bees”

ER24 spokesperson Ross Campbell

Paramedics rescue father and toddler

Paramedics arrived at the scene in the evening and looked for the other family members. They then heard the father screaming for help from a vlei where he had waded into the water with his toddler and baby in an attempt to escape the bees.

The paramedics managed to get close enough to grab the baby and toddler and race back to the farmhouse, before handing them directly to the ambulance crew who rushed them through to the hospital. The oldest daughter had also by that time been taken through to hospital for further treatment.

“More ER24 paramedics had arrived on the scene and they returned to the vlei for the father and managed to find the mother who had run back to their car in all the panic,” Campbell said.

“They were both treated for the hundreds of bee stings they had suffered and were transported through to Mediclinic Nelspruit to join their daughters and receive further emergency care”