A dad and police volunteer collapses to the ground as he's stung more then 100 times by swarming bees in a harrowing video.
The man, identified by his family only by his first name as Gary, had to be hospitalised with bee stings and a fractured eye socket after he was attacked while responding to a call of a bee swarm in a hillside area.
As he tried to slap away the bees, he tripped and fell to the ground, causing him to sustain bee stings and a fractured eye socket.
The attack was captured and footage shows Gary collapsing to the ground during the incident.
It was so severe that the partner he was with kept the car door closed, fearing for his safety.
Eventually, he managed to walk out of the area, in the Encino neighbourhood in Los Angeles, California, and emergency services rushed him to a hospital to treat the bee stings as well as the fractured eye socket.
Professional bee removers were also called in to assist, and it is unclear where the swarm of bees came from.
Gary, who at the time of the incident was volunteering with the Los Angeles Police Department, remains hospitalised in stable condition, reported Fox News.
Bee experts advise against swatting at bees and recommend running at least a quarter of a mile to get away.
A GoFundMe page has been launched for the LAPD volunteer to help with his recovery.
His family asked for help after Gary was "heartbreakingly featured on television as being overcome by killer bees and falling to the ground with the fire department nearby."
Gary's son Daniel said that the family was struggling to afford the necessary treatment.
Daniel said: "Unfortunately, while his job gets a lot of praise, we recently found out he'll be on the hook for his own medical expenses through Medicare."
And added: "So we're hoping those out there that have any ties to or have been helped by these community officers, or even just want to keep them around and help protect them from harm’s way, can donate to get Gary back on his feet as soon as possible."
Daniel said that Gary has been serving as a volunteer for the LAPD for almost 18 years.
During this time, he noted, his dad has been a first responder to many incidents, helping to save many lives by calling in paramedics to accident scenes, directing traffic around dangerous areas, and even making decisions about when to step in and provide aid.
The victim's son stressed that the family "honestly don't know how much all this is going to cost at this point," however, the fundraiser has reached its goal of $5,000 (£4,000) so far.
Speaking to CBS News later, Daniel said his father is an Air Force veteran and described him as strong-willed, well-trained, independent, friendly, and always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.
Daniel expressed his hope that people would reciprocate his father’s willingness to step in when called upon.
He said that he was shocked when seeing the video of his father's attack on TV: "It was gut-wrenching. I couldn’t even believe it. It looked so painful."
At the time, he said he was "yelling at the screen": "Why aren’t people helping? This is ridiculous. Go out, please help."
But added: "It’s easy to criticize after the fact, but at the time, I’m sure everyone was doing the best they can or was not sure what to do, but it was just horrible."
