Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

News Report - Hiker dies after "bee attack"

6K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  alblancher 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Hiker dies after bee attack in Phoenix-area canyon
Associated Press – 9 hrs agoEmailShareShare0PrintPHOENIX (AP) — A hiker died Monday after he was attacked by a swarm of bees and fell about 150 feet off a cliff at a popular recreation area in Phoenix, authorities said.

Phoenix Fire Department officials say the man was pronounced dead at the scene in the Echo Canyon area of Camelback Mountain.

Two other hikers were airlifted out after each was stung about 300 times. Paramedics said both men were hospitalized in serious but stable condition and expected to recover.

Fire officials said the three men were attacked by bees about 3:45 p.m. on a trail near Ice Box Canyon. The two survivors hid in a small crevice to avoid the swarm until rescuers arrived.

Some of the rescue workers wore white protective suits to keep them from also being stung.

The names and ages of the hikers weren't immediately released.
 
#3 ·
I know alot of the bees in Arizona are more aggressive but I wonder what took place here. Did they come upon a swarm and freak out? Did they see an open colony and harass them first? Or were they walking along minding their own business and the bees attacked like in the horror movies?
 
#9 ·
Ya I would say that there's a lot of potential for misinformation here. People use the word swarm without actually knowing what a swarm is. People assume every sting is from a honey bee. I doubt that they actually encountered a swarm of bees. If this was a honey bee incident it is likely to be a AHB issue. Also how did they manage to hide in a crevice from bees? As if the bees were to big to get in. Still trying to figure that one out.
 
#10 ·
Bush 84: I interpreted it to mean that they ran and hid, and the bees considered them out of sight, out of mind.

Something else interesting: Camelback Mountain has people climbing and hiking on it all day every day. As with all "bee" attacks, this brings up a lot of questions. If any of the hikers did something stupid, I wonder if they will admit to it. I'm noticing that we rarely get the "backstory" on such events.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top