Man critical after attack by bee swarm

A man had to be airlifted to the hospital after being attacked by a swarm of bees Tuesday morning, Hearne police said.

The man, whose name and age have not been released pending notification of next of kin, had been mowing the lawn near a self-storage facility in the 800 block of West Brown Street at about 11 a.m. when the bees attacked, authorities said.

Firefighters were able to get the bees away by hosing the man down with soap and water before taking him to St. Joseph hospital in Bryan in critical condition, said Sgt. Stephen Yohner with Hearne police.

Yohner said the loud noise from the lawn mower may have disrupted the bees that overcame the man.

Authorities diverted traffic away from the area for about an hour-and-a-half, but the self-storage facility and a nearby abandoned hotel were roped off until beekeepers were called in. As a precaution, school officials kept students indoors for the rest of the day.

Meredith Neely, who works across the street, said she was on the phone when she heard the sirens.

"I got up and looked out the window, and I could see the owner over there with hands all around his head, slapping his face," she said.

Neely described the incident as a "wild scene for a little bit because [the bees] were going after the emergency people too."

Authorities did not say what kind of bees were involved but a Texas A&M agriculture professor said they were likely honey bees because "they're the only social bees around."

Juliana Rangel, who also oversees the Honey Bee Lab at A&M, said bees are disturbed by vibrations or extreme weather conditions.

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Man critical after attack by bee swarm