A Delft family says they will never visit the Company’s Garden in Cape Town again after they were attacked by a swarm of bees over the
weekend.
Stanton May, 39, his wife, Gail, mom-in-law, Dorothy van Willingh, 56, their four
children and their 23-year-old niece and her 5-year-old child were all rushed to Somerset
Hospital by ambulance after they were stung by “hundreds of bees” on
Saturday.
Stanton says Dorothy, who is allergic to bee stings, went into anaphylactic shock and nearly died, but doctors
managed to save her life.
The family has been left traumatised and blames the City of Cape Town for not removing the beehive sooner.
Stanton says it was their baby Leighton’s first
birthday on 3 October and the outing was a treat for the children.
ALLERGIC: Dorothy, 56, was rushed to Somerset Hospital
He says they first did some shopping in the CBD, then settled in the famous park where the kids
played and chased the squirrels and pigeons.
“Just after 1pm, Gayle and her mother went to get lunch for the family at KFC and I stayed watching the children play,” he says.
“When they returned, a man behind the bench shouted they must cover
themselves, and all hell broke loose.
“Hundreds of bees,
probably from a disturbed hive, came for me and my family and we could
do nothing.”
Leighton May was stung by bees. Picture: Jack Lestrade
As he and and his kids were being stung, he glanced over and saw his wife covered in bees “from head to toe”.
“They completely covered her face and arms and I felt helpless as I could not help her or the children.
“She told me to help the children and keep them away from her.
“The kids had to have the bees and their stings removed at the hospital.
“They screamed and cried and threw their food away.
“The gardens were full, but nobody came to our rescue.”
He says two vagrants and another man later helped remove the bee stings as they waited for the ambulance.
He says Gail started throwing up in the
ambulance while his mother
nearly died.
Gail’s body and head is still covered in bommels. Picture: Jack Lestrade
“My mother fainted and the doctors gave her an adrenaline shot and said she nearly did not make it,” says Stanton.
Gail’s entire body and head is still covered in bommels and doctors had to shave off half of her hair to take out the stings.
The emotional mother says: “I will never take my
children back to the Gardens. We all could have died.”
Stanton adds a squirrel was killed in the bee attack.
Mayco Member for
Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid
Badroodien, said, “The department became aware of the beehive as a result of this incident.
“This is unfortunately part of nature.”
He added that for safety reasons the moerse hive is being removed.
saafia.february@inl.co.za