Bees sting Ariz. golf course maintenance worker 2,000 times

Firefighters had to use foam to rescue the worker at the Sun City West golf course

By Brian NiemietzNew York Daily News

SUN CITY WEST, Ariz. — A maintenance worker at an Arizona golf course was intubated after being stung roughly 2,000 times by a swarm of bees.

The unidentified victim, who is in his 50s, is believed to have disturbed a hive at Pebblebrook Golf Course in Sun City West, according to ABC News in Phoenix, Ariz. He was covered by bees when first responders were called to the course Saturday.

“We thought it was grass clippings on his face but as we got closer, we realized those were actually bees,” one firefighter reportedly wrote in an incident report.

Golfers said they saw the worker frantically swinging his arms, but gave him little thought until the man began running around the course. Firefighters wearing protective gear drove away the bees so they could get the victim to an emergency room.

“Crews are on scene of Pebblebrook Golf Course where a maintenance worker was stung by bees,” Arizona Fire & Medical Authority wrote on social media. “Crews used foam to subdue the swarm and rescue the man. It is unclear how many times he was stung or the extent of his injuries.”

First responders shut down the course so a beekeeper could go to work. The injured worker was breathing through a tube Monday in a central Arizona hospital. His condition is unclear.

The CDC reports 788 Americans died from insect stings between 2011 and 2021. Males accounted for 84% of those fatalities.

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