Golf course worker in Arizona dies in bee attack on 8th hole

According to media reports, a golf course worker in southern Arizona died when he was attacked by a swarm of bees while working on the eighth hole.

Rick Messina, 57, was mowing the grass on the eighth hole of Pusch Ridge Golf Course in Oro Valley when the bees struck.

The tragic incident occurred on June 24 at the golf course about 10 miles north of Tucson, where Messina was helping maintain the grounds.

He died three days later at a local hospital from complications from the bee stings, CBS News reported Thursday.

It was “a tragic accident at work,” the club’s management said in a statement to the news agency.

Messina had been employed as a groundskeeper for El Conquistador Golf & Tennis, which manages the greens, since 2022.

Beekeepers reportedly could not find any hives or bee activity on the day of the incident.

“It appears Rick was attacked by a migrating swarm of bees,” El Conquistador Golf said in a statement to USA Today.

Messina is “known for his exceptional work ethic, positive attitude and unwavering commitment to his duties,” the company added.

Messina took pride in his work and did everything in his power to improve the course, his girlfriend Anna Bifano, vice president of Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf, told News 13.

A memorial bench dedicated to him will be erected on site.

In his free time, Messina took care of his parents, Bifano added.

From 2011 to 2021, there were 788 deaths from hornet, wasp and bee stings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — or an average of 72 deaths per year.

Summer is “peak season for bee swarms,” wrote El Conquistador Golf.