Three in serious condition following bee attack

THE BORNEO POST

Posted on July 31, 2011, Sunday



COURAGEOUS: The camp instructor, who collapsed at the end of the ordeal,

 about to be sent to the hospital after being brought out of the jungle.



SANTUBONG: Two teenagers and a camp instructor are in serious condition after a swarm of bees  attacked a group of young jungle trekkers near Damai beach here yesterday.

The teens were part of a 22-member group, including two teachers, from a private school taking part in a three-day excursion which began on Friday.

The incident occurred around 10.15am near a waterfall where the group had stopped to prepare lunch following a trek through a jungle trail.

One student said later he believed the smoke from their cooking fire had disturbed a bee hive somewhere above them and resulted in hundreds of bees descending on them.

Two members of the group ended up in serious condition with countless stings all over their bodies, while others sustained several bee stings.

The camp instructor also bore the brunt of the bees’ attack when he courageously put himself in harm’s way by going back and forth to rescue the students and lead them to safety.

He collapsed at the end of the ordeal and had to be carried out by rescue personnel, which included firemen, a Civil Defence Department team and two ambulance crews from the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).

All were rushed to the SGH where the two students and the instructor were hospitalised in the Red Zone, while the others were sent to the Yellow Zone for treatment.