ATTLEBORO, Mass. --
As an Attleboro woman continued to recuperate after being stung by wasps or yellow jackets more than 500 times, one of the firefighters who responded to the unusual call shared his story.
"I thought it was honey bees at first because they usually swarm like that, but it was yellow jackets," said Attleboro Firefighter David Capraro.
Capraro was one of the first to respond to a report of a woman suffering from bee stings Monday night at 40 Division St.
"And then en route it came across as she was still out and the bees were still on her and stuff, and it was one of those things we talked about in the engine, we made a decision about what we were going to do and we did it," Capraro said.
The 53-year-old woman had been stung about 500 times. Officials said the yellow jackets were so relentless that they followed her in the ambulance and even into the emergency room at nearby Sturdy Memorial Hospital.
Three firefighters also treated and released after enduring about a half dozen bites themselves.
"We took some hits, but not as many as she did," Capraro said.
"They actually had to get stung themselves while they were treating the patient, so I give them a lot of credit for having the fortitude to keep treating the patient while they were being attacked," said Attleborough Police Chief Scot Lachance said. "It's certainly nothing compared to what the patient herself went through, but it's a testimony to the dedication of the firefighters here."
The woman, whose name has not been released, remains hospitalized.
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