A woman was stung hundreds of times by what a neighbor described as a cloud of bees in a terrifying attack in the driveway of her Riverside County home.
Neighbor Chuck Wing immediately called 911 after seeing his neighbor struggling to bat away the bees in the 2300 block of Spring Branch Court.
"If you can imagine a cloud, visible cloud," Wing said. "We were guessing in the neighborhood of 10,000 bees. She had no ability to cope with the ferocity of the attack. It just got worse and worse and worse and when she got on the ground it became savage."
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Firefighters arrived and sprayed water on the victim. Neighbors said firefighters also appeared to be swarmed as they tried to stop the swarm.
"These guys showed up and they were attacked," Wing said. "Really heroes in this community."
A beekeeper eventually subdued the hive.
Neighbors said the hive had been under the roof of a home for years. The victim is recovering after being released from a hospital.
A spokesperson for the city of Murrieta, located about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles, said the city has been aware of the situation since early June.
"The City of Murrieta was made aware of code compliance concerns at this property on June 6, 2023, and is actively working with cooperating family members, county resources, and community members to resolve the issues," the city said in an emailed statement to NBCLA. "The City has been exercising diligence with this case, but California law requires the City to give the property owner an opportunity to resolve the issues at the home on their own.
"The City is monitoring the situation closely and is committed to following legal due process requirements to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the property owner and the neighboring community. The City remains diligent and ready to escalate its response should circumstances warrant."
