LAPD volunteer continues to recover after attack by swarm of bees in Encino, family says

ENCINO, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Los Angeles Police Department volunteer continues to recover after being attacked by a swarm of bees last week in a residential area of Encino.

News video showed the volunteer, identified only as Gary on a GoFundMe page, collapsing to the ground on the afternoon of May 15 as the unrelenting bees descended on him.

He was hospitalized for five days after the incident and underwent surgery, his son said.

"The surgery itself took between 2 and 3 hours and was able to be done noninvasively, so only a few stiches with minimal scarring is expected," according to an update posted on May 20. "What a relief! The hospital staff was wonderful, as were the LAPD liaisons -- everyone was super friendly, supportive, and careful to go over each and every little thing needed for an expeditious recovery."

On Wednesday, however, "Gary's recovery took a detour," his son said in a statement.

"After finally getting back to the police station for about an hour yesterday for a short interview, Gary was rushed to the hospital overnight by paramedics," the statement said. "He was experiencing an A-fib that caused a spike in blood pressure, shortness of breath and a horrendous headache. The ER got his heartbeat and blood pressure stabilized by about 3:00 am (Pacific), after which Gary proceeded to pass out and get some sleep while the hospital continued to monitor and perform additional tests.

"Gary is now resting at home again, but will definitely need to take it easy, reserving his energy for the many doctor follow-up visits he has in the coming weeks," his son said, reiterating his gratitude to his father's supporters.