Hiker Dies After Killer Bee Attack In Arizona

A 23-year-old man died after he was stung more than 1,000 times by bees during a hiking trip in Usery Mountain Park in Mesa, Arizona.

Alex Bestler, from Louisiana, was hiking the Merkle Memorial Trail at Usery Mountain Park with a friend on May 26 when, just after 9 a.m., a large swarm of bees appeared out of nowhere, according to AZCentral.

Bestler's friend managed to run away and find shelter in a nearby restroom, but Bestler was unable to escape the swarm, police said. Park employees found him lying on the ground covered in bees but reportedly did not approach him right away out of fear that they too would be attacked.

Two firefighters and a Sheriff's Office sergeant arrived on the scene and worked with the park employees to move Bestler onto a Sheriff's Office utility vehicle.

He was then transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Bestler's friend Elena Gail Collins lamented his death on Facebook.

"Such a sweet person who honestly just loved life," she wrote, according to the Daily Mail. "Praying for the family. Rest in sweet peace, Alex Bestler."

The bees are believed to have been Africanized honey bees, also known as killer bees, the Daily Mail reports. They are known for attacking people who enter their territory and can remain in an agitated state for up to 24 hours, during which time they are extremely aggressive.

A section of the Merkle Memorial Trail was closed to the public for the remainder of the afternoon.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio warned people to be vigilant.

"These attacks are becoming more frequent and I urge the public to be aware of their surroundings when out in these areas," he said in a statement.

Another bee attack occurred on the same day in Phoenix, resulting in the hospitalization of a 51-year-old man who Phoenix Fire officials said was allergic to bees, according to AZCentral.

In 2014, a 32-year-old landscaper was killed, and his colleague seriously injured, by a swarm of killer bees in Douglas, Arizona, the Daily Mail notes.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/health/man-and-his-friend-were-hiking-desert-when-all-sudden-they-heard-buzzing-sound-time-they
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Hiker, 23, is stung to death by a giant swarm of a thousand killer bees in Arizona



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3612481/Hiker-23-killed-swarm-Arizona-latest-victim-Africanized-killer-bees.html
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Arizona -November 2015
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/11/01/6-hospitalized-after-bee-attack-in-arizona.html/

Thats a helluva way to go right there.....

The government owns the park.
They could at least put signs up, warning people.
For at least 3 years, people have been attacked to the point of hospitalization & death.

if someone/something dies, then by default they are "killer" bees...lol... all bees are capable of killing, people need to be taught how to not make them swarm...

but the article doesn't tell the whole truths there, the africanized honeybees will attack, as they don't like low, deep rhythmic pulses that lawn mowers and other machines put out... but once they do swarm, any animal is not safe from them... (horses, cattle and dogs have been killed by them as well as humans)

but i find hard it really hard to believe he was just walking and minding his own business and the bees just swarmed him... bees don't attack for no reason, they die as well...

they are a bit more aggressive,and most likely will attack if you get too close,less close as a matter of fact than with the regular Honey-Bees!
And also will pursue you for a longer Distance from the Hive as well!

true, but only if they feel threatened... like ants, if you hurt/kill one, it sends out a chemical pheromone that alerts the rest of the hive and all the others send out the same pheromone... and that puts them in attack mode... otherwise, they mostly keep to themselves...

Just another reason to build that damn wall!

I agree with Moe
Animals /insect don't attack unless it feels threaten or you look yummy to eat.

I feel for the guy because that's a crap way to die.

At the least, it was a definite buzz kill....

Higher...HIGHER!!