PHOENIX — Crews from Phoenix and Glendale were called to Lookout Mountain near 16th Street and Greenway Parkway around 10 a.m. Saturday after reports of a hiker stung multiple times by bees.
Firefighters found a man near the summit who said he had been stung more than 100 times and couldn’t make it down on his own.
A Phoenix Firebird helicopter was used to hoist him off the mountain.
He was taken by ambulance from the trailhead to the hospital in critical condition.
Fire officials are providing the following safety tips if you ever encounter a bee swarm:
- Do not disturb or throw rocks at a beehive.
- Wear lightly colored clothing, bees are attracted to colors that resemble the characteristics of their natural predators.
- Avoid wearing scents or perfumes of any sort when hiking or working outside. Bees are sensitive to odors.
- If you encounter a bee colony, run away and cover your head.
