Massive swarm of bees kills disabled man

MISSION — When firefighters arrived, they found a man covered in bees.

“They were on him head to toe,” said Elias Saldivar, the Alton fire chief. His firefighters pulled the man away, suffering stings on their faces as they fought off attacks.

“The coat and pants only cover so much,” the chief said of his firefighters’ protective clothing.

Rescuers separated 57-year-old Paul Lee Campton from the bees, but it was too late.

Campton, a disabled man who uses a walker, died Thursday at Mission Regional Medical Center after being stung more than 1,000 times.

The attack happened about 6 p.m. Wednesday at a house just outside Mission on the south side of 6 Mile Line, just east of Bryan Road. Authorities said Campton and his brother, Lester Campton, 41, opened the garage door and were swarmed by as many as 1,000 bees.

Lester Campton escaped to a neighbor’s house and called for help. Alton firefighters arrived on the scene to find a thick, dark cloud of bees attacking the men.

As paramedics took Paul Lee Campton to the hospital, the bees followed after them, stinging emergency workers, Chief Saldivar said. No rescuer sustained serious injuries.

Paul Lee Campton died at 11:30 p.m. Thursday at Mission Regional Medical Center. His brother Lester was not seriously hurt.

Pest control workers later destroyed the majority of the bees, and authorities said they pose no further threat.

The Alton Fire Department has responded to about five less serious attacks so far this year. Larger cities in the Rio Grande Valley have also responded to such calls, fire officials said.

Many area cities have taken steps to prepare for these incidents. Alton, for example, has ordered new, sting-proof clothing, and McAllen equips rescue workers with bee suits to shield them from stings.

While firefighters won’t remove a hive from your backyard, they urge you to call if bees pose a mortal threat.

They will spray soap and water at the bees — whatever it takes to drive them away.

Information you should know:

* Wear light-colored clothing while doing yard work; dark colors attract bees.

* Search the yard for signs of bees before mowing; the noise irritates bees.

* Know if you’re allergic to bee stings and talk to your doctor about antidotes; one sting can be deadly.

* Don’t remove stingers with your fingers; doing so can spread the poison. Use a credit card to scrape stingers off the skin.

(Source: McAllen Fire Department, Lt. Rene Alaniz)