57-year-old Arizona golf course groundskeeper dies horribly after being attacked by a swarm of angry insects while working on the eighth hole

An employee at a golf course in Arizona died after being attacked by bees while performing maintenance on the eighth hole.

Rick Messina, 57, was working near hole 8 of the Pusch Ridge Course, part of the El Conquistador Golf Club in Oro Valley, on June 24 when he was stung by a swarm of bees.

On that fateful day, he was mowing his lawn at 7 a.m. when the swarm attacked. Messina was taken to the hospital and died three days later, on June 27, from the effects of the bee stings.

“Rick was a dedicated and valued member of our team, known for his exceptional work ethic, positive attitude and unwavering commitment to his duties,” El Conquistador Golf Club told DailyMail.com.

“El Conquistador Golf and Indigo Sports have provided relief resources to both Rick’s family and our team to help everyone get through this difficult time.”

El Conquistador is a huge golf and tennis club with three golf courses, 31 tennis courts, a full fitness facility, an Olympic-sized lap pool, 10 pickleball courts, a racquetball court and a restaurant.

Full golf memberships start at $535 per month for families and $360 for individuals.

Messina has been working for the agronomy team at El Conquistador Golf Club since July 2022.

On the day of the attack in Messina, beekeepers examined all 45 golf holes on the three courses and could not detect any bee activity.

“It appears Rick was attacked by a migrating swarm of bees,” the club said.

Experts advise community members to remain vigilant during peak bee swarming season.

“The city would like to remind all citizens to be aware of the wildlife and venomous animals in our area. Summer is peak season for bee swarms, so please remain vigilant,” Oro Valley said in a statement obtained by 13 News.

In April, the start of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers was delayed because a bee colony swarmed behind the home base and seats had to be evacuated in some sections.

The game was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. local time in Phoenix, with a delay of over 90 minutes so that the Bees could be successfully removed from the field.

Chase Field has a retractable roof, but it was open on Tuesday night, allowing the bees to enter.

Finally, beekeeper Matt Hilton was hoisted up onto the 30-foot post where the swarm was located. Hilton sprayed and vacuumed the bees until they were out of sight.