Construction worker swarmed by bees dies, 2 others injured

One of three construction workers died Monday after they were swarmed by bees in Riverside.

According to Perna, one worker had an allergic reaction to the stingers and was transported to Parkview Community Hospital in critical condition.

“The contractor was grading the property for a parking lot and possibly hit an underground sprinkler control vault, which housed a bee hive”, Battalion Chief Tony Perna said in a written statement. “They just kept splitting up and chasing all the other workers”.

“I was in the tractor, I looked down and he’s swatting the bees”, construction worker Thomas Marquez said.

The incident occurred about 9:55 a.m.in the 5200 block of Van Buren Boulevard (map) as a crew was working at a construction site, the City of Riverside Fire Department stated in an incident fact sheet.

One of the patients later died, said sheriff’s Sgt.

A third worker was treated at the scene for stings.

“The bees were docile and reconvened to their hive shortly after the attack”, fire officials wrote in a report.

The contractor arranged for a bee company to deal with the hive.

The bees swarmed and attacked “the nearest three to five people”, Perna said. Some workers panicked and bolted, while at least two men rolled on the ground covering their faces with their hands.

Marquez hosed down the men using a water tank and the stinging stopped.