Penfield EMTs save man stung by bees

PENFIELD, N.Y. (WROC) – Penfield Ambulance was called to Harris Road late Labor Day morning for reports of a man who had been stung by bees. When they arrived to the scene, crews found a man in his backyard lying on his back in a bee suit next to multiple bee boxes. EMT Ike Mulligan and EMT Ashley Pisciotta approached the man and found that he was unresponsive, having agonal respirations, and was foaming at the mouth.

EMT Pisciotta immediately requested ALS to the scene while EMT Mulligan tried to remove the patient from the swarm of bees. According to crews with Penfield Ambulance, the patient was stung more than 100 times by the bees.

“EMT Mulligan then went into his BLS bag and pulled out our ‘Check and Inject Epinephrine Kit’, prepped the medication, and then went back to the patient to push the Epinephrine into the patient’s thigh while being stung an additional 150 more times,” officials with Penfield Ambulance said. “At this point, he removed himself from the bees and had to leave the patient in the yard.”

Being in the vicinity, EMT Pisciotta was stung roughly five times. The next arriving ambulance arrived on the scene and Paramedic Nate Premo treated EMT Mulligan, while Premo’s partner EMT Kristina Jovcevska went to help EMT Pisciotta.

EMT Pisciotta was stung at least six times. At this time, due to the scene not being safe, Penfield Ambulance Operations Manager Dan Riordan arrived to the scene and made the difficult decision to not send anyone else down to the patient until crews with Penfield Fire arrived.

Two more ambulances were requested to the scene (a third ambulance from Penfield and an ambulance via mutual aid from Perinton Ambulance).

Penfield Firefighters started to arrive on the scene and utilized C02 fire extinguishers on the bees in full turnout gear to access the patient at around 10 a.m. The patient was then picked up, loaded onto the gurney and put in the ambulance to mobilize the patient for transport. At this point, Penfield Ambulance’s third ambulance was on scene (ALS 3739 with a crew of Paramedic Jason Smith and EMT Hannah Tette) and they took the original patient to Strong Memorial Hospital who was still unresponsive.

“While en route to the hospital, Paramedic Smith provided more life-saving interventions for the patient and he did start to become alert and more responsive and was stable upon arrival to the emergency department and was later discharged,” officials with Penfield Ambulance said.

EMT Mulligan and EMT Pisciotta were transported by Paramedic Premo on 3749 and then treated and released by Strong Memorial Hospital.

EMT Jovcevska was treated by Perinton Ambulance and then treated and released by Highland Hospital. Due to all of our ambulances being out of service for an extended period of time and to call in some reliefs and our additional need from Perinton Ambulance, Irondequoit Ambulance assisted us by covering our district.

“If it wasn’t for the incredible act of valor by EMT Mulligan under extreme risk of injury or death, his ability to sacrifice himself in the heat of the moment allowed this patient to survive,” Dan Riordan said. “The incredible team effort by everyone on the scene was impressive and is a constant reminder of the impressive work our responders do that serve the town of Penfield, New York.”

​ PENFIELD, N.Y. (WROC) – Penfield Ambulance was called to Harris Road late Labor Day morning for reports of a man who had been stung by bees. When they arrived to the scene, crews found a man in his backyard lying on his back in a bee suit next to multiple bee boxes. EMT Ike Mulligan and EMT Ashley Pisciotta approached the man and found that he was unresponsive, having agonal respirations, and was foaming at the mouth.

EMT Pisciotta immediately requested ALS to the scene while EMT Mulligan tried to remove the patient from the swarm of bees. According to crews with Penfield Ambulance, the patient was stung more than 100 times by the bees.

“EMT Mulligan then went into his BLS bag and pulled out our ‘Check and Inject Epinephrine Kit’, prepped the medication, and then went back to the patient to push the Epinephrine into the patient’s thigh while being stung an additional 150 more times,” officials with Penfield Ambulance said. “At this point, he removed himself from the bees and had to leave the patient in the yard.”

Being in the vicinity, EMT Pisciotta was stung roughly five times. The next arriving ambulance arrived on the scene and Paramedic Nate Premo treated EMT Mulligan, while Premo’s partner EMT Kristina Jovcevska went to help EMT Pisciotta.

EMT Pisciotta was stung at least six times. At this time, due to the scene not being safe, Penfield Ambulance Operations Manager Dan Riordan arrived to the scene and made the difficult decision to not send anyone else down to the patient until crews with Penfield Fire arrived.

Two more ambulances were requested to the scene (a third ambulance from Penfield and an ambulance via mutual aid from Perinton Ambulance).

Penfield Firefighters started to arrive on the scene and utilized C02 fire extinguishers on the bees in full turnout gear to access the patient at around 10 a.m. The patient was then picked up, loaded onto the gurney and put in the ambulance to mobilize the patient for transport. At this point, Penfield Ambulance’s third ambulance was on scene (ALS 3739 with a crew of Paramedic Jason Smith and EMT Hannah Tette) and they took the original patient to Strong Memorial Hospital who was still unresponsive.

“While en route to the hospital, Paramedic Smith provided more life-saving interventions for the patient and he did start to become alert and more responsive and was stable upon arrival to the emergency department and was later discharged,” officials with Penfield Ambulance said.

EMT Mulligan and EMT Pisciotta were transported by Paramedic Premo on 3749 and then treated and released by Strong Memorial Hospital.

EMT Jovcevska was treated by Perinton Ambulance and then treated and released by Highland Hospital. Due to all of our ambulances being out of service for an extended period of time and to call in some reliefs and our additional need from Perinton Ambulance, Irondequoit Ambulance assisted us by covering our district.

“If it wasn’t for the incredible act of valor by EMT Mulligan under extreme risk of injury or death, his ability to sacrifice himself in the heat of the moment allowed this patient to survive,” Dan Riordan said. “The incredible team effort by everyone on the scene was impressive and is a constant reminder of the impressive work our responders do that serve the town of Penfield, New York.” Read More NewsRochesterFirst