A Murrieta woman who suffered hundreds of bee stings in an attack is speaking out after she was hospitalized from the terrifying ordeal.
It’s been nearly a week since Linda Briggs, 74, was attacked by a vicious swarm of bees outside of her home on June 28.
“People said it was really lucky,” Briggs recalled. “That some people have died from this and that I had a lot of toxin in me. If I were to get stung again, that could be fatal.”
Briggs recalls the terrifying moment she was attacked as the situation unfolded around 2 p.m. in the 23000 block of Spring Branch Court.
She was standing in front of her home when suddenly, a large swarm of bees appeared around the corner and surrounded her.
“I get up to walk towards them because they came closer and I didn’t want to go in my house and open the door and let them in the house and the dogs are usually right there,” Briggs said. “I had that towel and I was kind of smacking it and swinging it around to distract them.”
The neighbor who captured the video saw Briggs staggering to where her car as the swarm fully engulfed her before she fell to the ground.
“I ran over there, and I tried to help her, tried to spray her with a hose, but they started attacking me,” the neighbor who recorded the video told KTLA. “So I ran into the neighbor’s garage and then I ran back out to get my phone, and that’s when I called 911.”
Despite being stung hundreds of times, Briggs remains in good spirits and said she was thankful her long pants and thick sweatshirt protected her body during the attack.
Firefighters who arrived on the scene doused Briggs, her home and other nearby areas with water and foam.
After being transported to the hospital, medical staff recovered at least 700 stingers from Briggs’ skin and clothing. Many firefighters who responded also got stung in the process.
“The next day, everything — the skin, my neck, my chin — everything was tender,” recalled Briggs.
Bee removal crews arrived at the home the next day and told KTLA there were likely around 100,000 bees living under the walls of Briggs’ home.
Briggs said she’s had a tough time trying to remove the bees in the past and her family remains concerned for her well-being and mental health.
“We’ve tried three times over the last three years to really help her, get her out of here,” said Briggs’ sister, Deb Briggs Werner, who flew in from Wisconsin after the attack. “You can’t do anything to help. Somebody’s got to want to change.”
The victim’s family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with the beehive removal along with any related expenses.
At the end of the day though, they’re just happy Briggs survived and is doing well in her recovery so far.
“I was very lucky that I didn’t die,” Briggs said.
In May, two people required medical care after they were attacked by bees at a home in Encino in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley.
A pit bull/mastiff mix dog required veterinary care after being stung hundreds of times by bees in the Lake Matthews area.