Bees sting elderly couple to death in Texas
Investigator says the insects were likely Africanized honey bees — often called 'killer bees'
By Jared Taylor
Reuters
updated <abbr style="display: inline;" class="dtstamp updated" title="2011-04-20T20:26:48">4/20/2011 4:26:48 PM ET
</abbr>MCALLEN, Texas — An elderly South Texas couple died and their son was injured after a swarm of bees attacked them on their remote ranch, authorities said on Wednesday.
William Steele, 95, and his wife, Myrtle, 92, died and their son, Richard, 67, was injured after bees attacked them as they tried to clean a hunting cabin on their ranch near Hebbronville on Monday, an investigator with the Jim Hogg County Sheriff's Office said.
"It was a terrible thing," Investigator Reyes Espinoza told Reuters. "You don't prepare for something like that."
Richard Steele told investigators he and his parents were attacked after they moved a wood stove in the cabin and exposed a hive of bees, Espinoza said.
The son immediately drove about 15 miles to the nearest road, where he managed to call for help on a cell phone.
William Steele tried to escape the bees by running from the cabin, but he fell and succumbed to hundreds of bee stings, Espinoza said.
Myrtle Steele was airlifted to a Corpus Christi hospital, where she died on Tuesday. Her son was transported to a Laredo hospital and released, Espinoza said.
Investigator says the insects were likely Africanized honey bees — often called 'killer bees'
By Jared Taylor
Reuters
updated <abbr style="display: inline;" class="dtstamp updated" title="2011-04-20T20:26:48">4/20/2011 4:26:48 PM ET
</abbr>MCALLEN, Texas — An elderly South Texas couple died and their son was injured after a swarm of bees attacked them on their remote ranch, authorities said on Wednesday.
William Steele, 95, and his wife, Myrtle, 92, died and their son, Richard, 67, was injured after bees attacked them as they tried to clean a hunting cabin on their ranch near Hebbronville on Monday, an investigator with the Jim Hogg County Sheriff's Office said.
"It was a terrible thing," Investigator Reyes Espinoza told Reuters. "You don't prepare for something like that."
Richard Steele told investigators he and his parents were attacked after they moved a wood stove in the cabin and exposed a hive of bees, Espinoza said.
The son immediately drove about 15 miles to the nearest road, where he managed to call for help on a cell phone.
William Steele tried to escape the bees by running from the cabin, but he fell and succumbed to hundreds of bee stings, Espinoza said.
Myrtle Steele was airlifted to a Corpus Christi hospital, where she died on Tuesday. Her son was transported to a Laredo hospital and released, Espinoza said.