A witness said the boy, Jamie Kirkness, was “lying at the side of the road covered head to toe in bees”

A mother and her toddler were airlifted to the hospital after being attacked by a swarm of bees.

Rosie Kirkness and her 2-year-old son, Jamie, were walking around Wester Ross, Scotland, last July when they were attacked by thousands of bees, according to The Sunday Times.

The pair were stung more than 150 times each and airlifted to the hospital.

Rosie first felt a bee in her hair, and then her arm was covered in bees. The mom collapsed due to the number of stings she experienced.

Luckily, she was able to make her way to a nearby house, where a man invited her and her son inside.

The man later told Rosie’s mom, Susan Kirkness, that he would “never forget seeing that wee boy lying at the side of the road covered head to toe in bees.”

Rosie and Jamie rinsed the bees off in the man’s shower as paramedics made their way to the scene. At one point, the toddler started to vomit bees.

The two were treated for kidney issues, venom-induced spasms, severe swelling and cellulitis, The Sunday Times reported, citing the Sunday Post.

The bee attack has had lasting effects as the mother and son have both been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Rosie’s mom told The Sunday Times that the incident was like “something out of a horror film.”

About a year later, the grandmother launched a petition in the Scottish Parliament to ban beehives in public spaces until new safety laws are in place.

Susan wrote in the petition, created on July 21, “There is currently no clear Scottish legislation regulating where beehives can be placed in relation to public spaces, nor any requirement for safety signage when beekeepers are working on hives. Other activities with far lower risk require visible warnings, yet beekeeping does not.”

She alleged that the incident involving her daughter and grandson happened when a beekeeper was working on hives without any warning signs or barriers.

“When the bees were disturbed, they became defensive and swarmed,” Susan wrote, adding that her two family members “continue to experience ongoing trauma and anxiety.”

She claimed to The Sunday Times that the beekeeper admitted to hearing her daughter in distress, but chose not to help.

Source: https://people.com/mother-and-son-airlifted-hospital-after-being-attacked-by-bees-12032418