An Ohio man has been hospitalized after being stung over 20,000 times by bees.
Austin Bellamy, 20, had to have bees suctioned out of him after being attacked by what is believed to be a swarm of Africanized honey bees on Friday morning (August 26).
Writing on a GoFundMe page, Bellamy's mom, Shawna Carter, explained that he first encountered the bees when he climbed a tree to help a friend trim its branches.
She described how he "cut right into a nest of African killer bees and was stung over 20,000 times", adding that he had to be rushed to the hospital and put on a ventilator, where he was "fighting for his life".
"We are asking for any donations just anything will help," the concerned mother wrote.
In an interview with Fox affiliate WXIX-TV, Carter described the moment her son was attacked by the swarm, saying: "It looked like he had a black blanket on his head down to his neck, down to his arms."
"He had bees inside of him, and they suctioned bees out of him until Sunday morning," she added.
According to WCPO-TV, Bellamy ingested around 30 bees. After being rescued by a firefighter from Ripley Fire Department, he was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for lifesaving treatment.
Bellamy suffered kidney failure and has to be put in a medically-induced coma, which he only awoke from five days later on Wednesday night (August 31).
According to outlets, the young man is expected to make a full recovery from his traumatic ordeal. His mom expressed her gratitude for the Ripley Fire Department firefighter, Craig, who saved her son's life. "When I think of Craig, Craig is a lifesaver," she said, adding: "He's Austin's angel."
Per the Fire Department, the species of insect that attacked Bellamy were Africanized killer bees. However, a Southwestern Ohio Beekeepers Association spokesperson has said that a sample will need to be analyzed to confirm the species.
A report published by the United States Department of Agriculture states that Africanized honey bees "are more defensive, stinging more with less provocation than other honey bees".
PestWorld.org explains how the species' behavior can often make it lethal. "Africanized killer bee venom is no more dangerous than regular honeybees. However, these bees tend to attack in greater numbers, which causes more danger to humans," the site reads.
As of this writing, more than $6,700 has been raised for Austin, which will be used to help him in his recovery.
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