Bees Sting Father and Daughter to Death When He Tried to Rescue Her After She Crashed Her Truck into a Beehive

A father and daughter lost their lives after being attacked by a swarm of bees in southern Brazil, following a tragic accident that began when the daughter’s vehicle overturned and struck a beehive.

Silvana da Fátima Braganca da Luz, 54, was driving on a dirt road in Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul, on Oct. 22 when she lost control of her truck. The vehicle flipped over and crashed into a beehive, according to local reports from G1, GZH, and Jornal Semanário.

A nearby resident who witnessed the accident reportedly ran to alert emergency services and Silvana’s parents, who lived close by on a rural property. The nearest fire station was nearly 37 miles away.

Silvana’s father, Raul Portela da Luz, 79, and her 72-year-old mother hurried to the scene to help their daughter. However, both were attacked by the agitated bees as they tried to reach her.

Silvana suffered extensive stings and succumbed to her injuries shortly after the crash. “There were hundreds of stings,” the fire department said, per G1. “When the team arrived, she was still alive, so the death did not occur at the time of the rollover.”

Raul was taken to Nossa Senhora da Oliveira Hospital in critical condition and died the following day, Oct. 23. Silvana’s mother survived after receiving medical treatment.

Both Silvana and Raul were laid to rest on Oct. 24 at the Portela Family Cemetery in Vacaria’s Serra region. Authorities said the Civil Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.

The tragedy occurred the same day that another swarm attack took place in Guyana, where construction workers were attacked by bees, leaving one man dead and another critically injured, according to iNewsGuyana, Guyana Times, and Stabroek News.

Contractors Winston Semple and Glendon Simpson were working on a road project at Surat Drive, Triumph, East Coast Demerara, when the bees swarmed. Bystanders rushed to help, and both men were taken to Enmore Regional Hospital. Semple, 29, was pronounced dead upon arrival, while Simpson, 40, remains in critical condition.