An 81-year-old Maysville man is on the mend after a scary bee attack.
Family members say Carl Amos was attacked by a swarm of presumed Africanized killer bees last Friday at his home off Highway 74 in Maysville. He was home alone at the time.
Amos was using a riding mower around 10 a.m. when he was first attacked by a few bees, prompting him to walk up to the porch to get a can of bug spray.
"It was only a few bees and he thought that would take care of them," said Amos' wife Barbara.
By the time he got there, he was fully engulfed by the bees and had to run away.
In a panic to escape the bees, Amos tripped and fell, breaking his right hip. He was unable to move and was on the ground for three hours.
"He realized he was in trouble because more bees were coming and stinging and he couldn’t see and couldn’t move because his broken hip," said Amos.
The bees attacked every part of uncovered skin around his head and neck and continued to sting him on his face, inside his nose and ears, and even through his eyelids.
Around 1 p.m., a group of nearby Burford Construction workers coming back from lunch noticed Amos in his yard, waving his knee to attract attention.
The workers rushed to Amos' aid and called 911. First responders who responded sprayed water on the bees to stop the attack.
"To see your husband on the ground with all these people around and bees. It was very disturbing. They really saved his life and we are eternally grateful for them," said Amos.
Amos was treated with Benadryl and brought to Norman Regional Hospital.
Amos underwent surgery on Saturday morning to repair his hip. Doctors were still finding and removing stingers during the surgery.
Amos is now in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
"After all this, he is in good spirits but it will be a long road to recovery. He will require therapy to get back on his feet," Amos' daughter Heather Garvey said.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help the family with expenses, including professional removal of the beehive, which will have to be removed before Amos can go home.
It's estimated Amos was stung more than 200 times. Family members say the bees are suspected to be Africanized killer bees based on the size of the swarm and the aggressive and unrelenting nature of the attack.
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