Man Dies in Arizona Bee Attack After Helping Child to Safety

A 29-year-old man has died while trying to protect a child from a large swarm of bees in Arizona.

David Santiago, who worked as a landscaper in Marana in Pima County, was stung hundreds of times on Thursday, July 29, as he helped a child to safety.

Santiago managed to get the child into his work truck but was unable to make it into the vehicle himself, and succumbed to the injuries that he sustained in the attack.

The child is also believed to have been stung hundreds of times.

At least six people, including three firefighters, were attacked by the swarm at around noon local time on Thursday July 29, near the intersection of Moore Road and Thomas Arron Drive in Marana.

Three members of the public, including Santiago and the child whose life he helped to save, were stung hundreds of times and required medical treatment, according to Northwest Fire District.

One firefighter, who was stung approximately 60 times, also required medical attention.

"We can confirm one fatality, an adult male," Northwest Fire District wrote on Twitter after the incident. "A large open hive, estimated around 100 pounds, was located in a tree nearby."

The species of bee was not revealed. Newsweek has contacted Northwest Fire District for further information.

Marana Police Department said on Thursday that the hive has been removed and that "bee handlers have killed most of the bees."

At the time it urged anyone in the area to remain alert, as there were "some lingering bees" in the area.

In a similar incident last month, in Bexar County, Texas, a 73-year-old man died after being attacked by a swarm of bees while he was mowing the lawn.

The man, whose name has not been released, is believed to have sustained more than 300 stings during the July 12 attack.

In Diamond Bar, California, a former Los Angeles police officer was stung more than 40 times during a bee attack on July 24. Two of his pet dogs died in the incident.

And in April, a 70-year-old man died after being stung hundreds of times in a bee attack in Stephens County, Texas.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,109 people died in the U.S. as a result of bee, wasp and hornet stings between 2000 and 2017.

Texas A&M AgriLife says that the best thing to do if you're attacked by bees is to run and, if possible, seek shelter.

You should also try to remove any stingers that are embedded in your skin as quickly as possible.