In a tragic turn of events, a swarm of bees attacked and killed a 75-year-old grandfather in Texas. He was working on his ranch in Texas when the deadly attack occurred.
75-year-old Bryce Smith was clearing some trees on his property in Bedias. He was using the bulldozer and incidentally took down a bee hive while clearing the trees. According to KTBX, that's when the bees swarmed the grandfather. The swarm ended up stinging him more than 60 times on his face and neck. An employee on the ranch saw Smith's attack and helped get him inside. They ended up calling 911. Unfortunately, he already passed by the time help arrived.
"The Bedias community lost a very very good individual yesterday, a very good man. He was a wonderful husband, great dad, great grandfather to his kids. He was very well respected," Grimes County Justice of the Peace Judge Chris Acord said. "The severity of what happened and how this could happen to anybody and we don't think about these things."
Bees Kill Man
Meanwhile, Texas A&M AgriLife research bee scientist, Juliana Rangel, theorized the type of bees that killed the rancher. Rangel theorized they were likely Africanized honey bees. Africanized bees can be aggressive especially when provoked.
"Africanized bees are a little bit more prone to feeling threatened by any external stimuli than more often than not, European bees," said Rangel. The expert urged people not to take things into their own hands. They should contact experts to remove any hives on their property.
"You better call a professional beekeeper that knows how to deal with live bee removals so we always recommend trying that route first, which is to call a professional beekeeper that can remove the bees live," said Rangel.
Meanwhile, The Texas Apiary Inspection Service recommends trying to cover one's head and face if attacked. You should run to a safe place and contact emergency services. Sadly, this advice cannot save the grandfather. Smith had three children, 10 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
"His love for his family and his community will always be remembered by those whose lives he touched," his family wrote.
