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Incident Record

11-year-old boy hospitalized after more than 400 Africanized bee stings in Safford

An 11-year-old boy was stung more than 400 times after he and a friend disturbed a hidden hive in an old vehicle while shooting BB guns. He was treated at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and first responders were stung during the rescue.

Record ID: AZ-GRAHAM-2017-0220
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This record is part of a first-pass incident research dataset. Records, categories, and source notes may be updated as additional information is reviewed and verified.
Date2/20/2017
LocationSafford / Sunset Boulevard area, AZ, Graham, AZ, United States
CountryUnited States
State / ProvinceAZ
Record TypeChild Severe Injury / Responder Rescue
Trigger / ActivityHive / Colony Disturbance
SeveritySevere Injury / Hospitalized
Bee ID StatusReported Africanized
Aggression ClassificationReported Africanized Defensive Hive
Source Language

Incident Summary

An 11-year-old boy was stung more than 400 times after he and a friend disturbed a hidden hive in an old vehicle while shooting BB guns. He was treated at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and first responders were stung during the rescue.

Public-Safety Lesson

Children may unknowingly disturb hidden colonies in abandoned vehicles, equipment, sheds, and debris. Public education should emphasize staying away from cavities and abandoned objects where bees may be nesting.

Impact Flags

Human FatalityNo
Human HospitalizedYes
Animal FatalityNo
Responder InvolvedYes

Source Information

Source: 12News / ABC15 / Gila Valley Central

Source Strength: B - Established News + Local Follow-up