Aggressive swarm of bees in Diamond Bar kills 2 dogs, stings man nearly 50 times

DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (KABC) -- A Diamond Bar man and his dog are recovering after getting attacked in their own backyard by a swarm of angry bees that killed two other dogs.

Bob Ramos had no idea a deadly bee attack was unfolding in his backyard until he heard the commotion - his dog and his daughter's two dogs were fighting to escape a massive swarm.

"It's bad enough if you lose your animal, but you're taking care of somebody's animal and they get hurt, you feel that much more responsible," said an emotional Ramos, who was dog-sitting his daughter's pets when the incident happened.

Ramos says he did all he could to try to save his daughter's dogs, Maggie and Allie. But the pair, along with his dog Rolo, were overrun by a sudden swarm of bees in his Diamond Bar backyard Saturday afternoon.

Maggie and Allie tried to escape by breaking through the screen door.

"We walked into the backyard and they just started stinging the heck out of me," Ramos said. "My wife realized how bad I was hurting, so she called the fire department."

Firefighters rescued Ramos, who had to be taken to the hospital after being stung nearly 50 times. Rolo likely survived thanks to her thick fur and substantial size, but for Maggie and Allie the attack proved fatal.

Ramos says the swarm came from a neighbor's hive, which somehow had been knocked over, angering the bees.

"It's the worst thing that I've ever seen," Ramos said. "It was a swarm and they were so aggressive... they were very aggressive and agitated."

The terrifying encounter was unlike anything the heartbroken father and former Los Angeles Police Department officer has ever seen.

"I was in Vietnam. I was in the police department for 27 years. I've seen a lot of different things. I've seen death," Ramos said. "I don't think I've ever been in anything that was so frightening. You just react."