California Man Stung Over 200 Times by Swarm of Bees, His 2 Horses Killed: 'I Am Strong'

Antonio Moreno found himself at the center of a horrific attack by a swarm of over 200 bees on Aug. 9

A California man had a recent encounter with a swarm of hundreds of bees that could have turned deadly – unfortunately, two of his horses were not so lucky.

On Friday, Aug. 9, Jurupa Valley resident Antonio Moreno found himself at the center of a horrific attack by a swarm of over 200 bees, which resulted in him being hospitalized and the death of his two young horses, according to ABC affiliate KABC-TV.

Moreno told the outlet that the attack occurred when he went with his son to feed their horses. "The horse was tied up and my son said to me, 'Dad, a bee is stinging the horse.' I went and untied him and told my son to move away," Moreno said. However, just shortly after seeing one bee, a swarm of hundreds attacked Moreno and the horses.

Related: Family Dog Killed, Mom and Children Hospitalized After Swarm of Bees Attack Them: 'It Feels Very Unreal'

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Moreno continued to share the details of the frightening experience, saying that he and his son attempted to escape. "We fled to the street and took the horses with us, but the bees followed us onto the street and kept stinging me," he noted.

Moreno explained the physical pain he was in as he was being stung and recounted the incident to KABC-TV, saying, "Everything began to close up, my throat closed up, and my heart felt like it was going to explode. My chest hurt so much, everything hurt."

Related: Man Dead, 3 Others Hospitalized with Hundreds of Stings After Bees Swarm in Arizona

Luckily, a neighbor heard Moreno and his son calling for help and called 911. The CalRiverside Fire Department arrived on the scene and “responded with protective gear and foamed two of the horses that were covered by bees. Sadly, Moreno’s 2-year-old and 5-month-old horses died in the attack,” according to NBC affiliate KNBC.

Representatives from the CalRiverside Fire Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

In a post on Facebook, the CalRiverside Fire Department said that Moreno and his son were “both transported to an area hospital via ground ambulance, one in moderate and one in serious condition” before they were both released.

Related: At Least Two People Hospitalized for 'Dozens of Bee Stings' from Swarm in Encino

"I am strong. They could have killed me. The doctor told me it's a miracle that I'm alive," Moreno told KABC following the attack. "People need to pay more attention and be careful with bees because they can be dangerous," he added.

Moreno also told the outlet that upon his hospital stay, he was informed that he is allergic to bees and will need to carry an EpiPen moving forward.

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