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Incident Record

Kenneth Dumas attack sends patient, two CareFlite crew members, and firefighters into active bee hazard

An 83-year-old man was attacked while mowing; two CareFlite crew members and two firefighters were also stung during rescue. Firefighters used hose and foam, and a firefighter drove the ambulance to the hospital.

Record ID: TX-JOHNSON-2009-0921
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This record is part of a first-pass incident research dataset. Records, categories, and source notes may be updated as additional information is reviewed and verified.
Date 2009-09-21
Location Cleburne, Johnson County, TX
State TX
Record Type Responder-Involved Incident
Trigger / Activity Mowing / Yard Work
Severity Hospitalized / responder stings
Bee ID Status Suspected Africanized
Aggression Classification Responder-involved public-safety incident

Incident Summary

An 83-year-old man was attacked while mowing; two CareFlite crew members and two firefighters were also stung during rescue. Firefighters used hose and foam, and a firefighter drove the ambulance to the hospital.

Public-Safety Lesson

Bee incidents can overwhelm arriving EMS unless a fire apparatus with protective gear and suppression capability is dispatched simultaneously.

Impact Flags

Human Fatality No
Human Hospitalized 3
Animal Fatality No
Responder Involved Yes

Source Information

Source: FireRescue1 quoting Cleburne Fire Chief Clint Ishmael

Source Strength: B - Established News / Officials Quoted