A senior citizen who was flying remote control model airplanes in a grassy expanse south of Petaluma on Wednesday was attacked by a swarm of bees from a commercial hive, a spokesperson for North Bay Fire said.
The man, who is about 70 years old, was flying the planes with friends in the 7600 block of Lakeville Highway around noon when his aircraft crashed. As he went to retrieve it, he was swarmed by honey bees and stung multiple times, according to Duty Chief Kelly Bradley of North Bay Fire.
The man's friends were able to "keep him alive" until first responders got there, said Bradley, though once EMTs arrived from the fire department, they too had to contend with the bees. The initial call just reported a bee sting, Bradley said.
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The man was moved further away from the bees, at which time the EMTs found a pulse, said Bradley. Medical first responders carried out advanced life support (ALS) until he could be transported to the hospital.
Bradley said that his most recent information about the victim is that he is in stable condition.
"When last I heard, he was doing fine," Bradley said.
