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Incident Record

Father and son attacked by Africanized honeybees while rock climbing at Saguaro National Park

A Tucson man and his 13-year-old son were attacked by Africanized honeybees while climbing in Saguaro National Park. The boy dislodged part of a hidden hive on a cliff face. The father was stung over 200 times and hospitalized overnight; the son was stung about 50 times and treated and released.

Record ID: AZ-PIMA-2003-0901
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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.
Date 9/1/2003
Location Saguaro National Park / Tucson Mountain District, Pima County, AZ
State AZ
Record Type Public Source Incident
Trigger / Activity Outdoor Recreation / Remote Exposure
Severity Hospitalized
Bee ID Status Confirmed Africanized
Aggression Classification Highly defensive colony response

Incident Summary

A Tucson man and his 13-year-old son were attacked by Africanized honeybees while climbing in Saguaro National Park. The boy dislodged part of a hidden hive on a cliff face. The father was stung over 200 times and hospitalized overnight; the son was stung about 50 times and treated and released.

Public-Safety Lesson

Hidden colonies in cliffs, trees, walls, or cavities can create high-risk escape situations for climbers and hikers because movement and rescue options are limited.

Impact Flags

Human Fatality No
Human Hospitalized Yes
Animal Fatality No
Responder Involved No

Source Information

Source: National Park Service Morning Report / Saguaro National Park

Source Strength: A