Golf course worker in Arizona killed in ‘tragic accident’ by swarm of bees

An employee at a golf course in Oro Valley, Arizona, tragically lost his life when he was attacked by a swarm of bees while working on the property.

The horrific incident occurred on June 24 at El Conquistador Golf & Tennis while 57-year-old Rick Messina – a member of the agronomy team – was working at one of the three courses operated by El Conquistador, Pusch Ridge Golf Course, maintaining the eighth hole.

Messina is said to have been mowing the rough on the hole in question before he was attacked by the swarm and fatally stung.

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In a statement, El Conquistador paid tribute to him, commenting: “Rick was a dedicated and valued member of our team, known for his exceptional work ethic, positive attitude and unwavering dedication to his duties. His sudden passing is a profound loss to our work family and our community. He will be sorely missed by all of us.”

The news was also confirmed by Darryl Janisse, general manager of El Conquistador Golf, who informed members of Messina’s death via email. “It is with a heavy heart that I am emailing our members to inform them of a tragic incident that occurred at Pusch Ridge involving one of our co-workers and a swarm of bees,” Janisse wrote.

The email also confirmed that the golf course had been thoroughly checked for bee activity. Messina was quickly rushed to hospital for treatment after the sting, but sadly died three days later.

For safety reasons, the club’s management called in professional beekeepers on the afternoon of the attack. The eighth hole in particular was checked, but no signs of swarming activity were found. The state of Arizona has been plagued by bee problems recently.

In May, another bee problem led to a lengthy delay in a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Five minutes before the game was due to start, a swarm of bees had settled on the top of the protective netting above home plate.

Beekeeper Matt Hilton was called in and lifted 30 feet in the air to remove the swarm so the game could begin at Chase Field. “We know this was really important to be able to start the game, so when we heard there was a bee problem at Diamondbacks Stadium, we immediately tried to solve the problem,” Hilton commented.