53-Year-Old Landscaper Killed By Giant Swarm Of Bees While Suspended From Tree
NDTV
The 53-year-old was up on a ladder and hooked into a harness connected to a tree when things took a frightening turn.
A US landscaper met a grim accidental death on Thursday after being attacked by a giant swarm of bees as he hung suspended from a tree.
According to The Independent, Franco Galvan Martinez of Texas disturbed a beehive while attempting to do landscaping work in a yard. The 53-year-old was up on a ladder and hooked into a harness connected to a tree when things took a frightening turn.
Speaking to KXAN News, Joe Maldonado, an eyewitness of the incident, said that Mr Martinez disturbed the hive as he worked at a home in Austin and accidentally kicked away the ladder beneath him. The insects then immediately began to swarm around and attack the 53-year-old, and in the ensuing chaos, the landscaper became trapped in midair due to the harness.
"I guess in [a] panic trying to swat away the bees from himself, he kicked away the ladder," Mr Maldonado told KXAN News, as per Independent. He added that the hive was “so ginormous” that it literally covered Mr Martinez instantly.