Incident Record
91-year-old man died after hundreds of bees swarmed him in backyard
A 91-year-old man died after he apparently disturbed a beehive while working in his backyard; the medical examiner listed toxic envenomization as cause of death.
Record ID: CA-LOSANGELES-2026-0611
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
6/11/2026
Location
West Covina, CA, Los Angeles County, CA
State
CA
Record Type
Attack / Stinging Incident
Trigger / Activity
Mowing / Yard Work
Severity
Human Fatality
Bee ID Status
Unknown / Not Stated
Aggression Classification
Human Fatality
Incident Summary
A 91-year-old man died after he apparently disturbed a beehive while working in his backyard; the medical examiner listed toxic envenomization as cause of death.
Public-Safety Lesson
Backyard hives can become lethal when disturbed during routine outdoor work, especially for elderly residents working alone.
Impact Flags
Human Fatality
Yes
Human Hospitalized
No
Animal Fatality
No
Responder Involved
Yes
Source Information
Source: NBC Los Angeles / LA County Medical Examiner reference
Source Strength: B - Established News / Officials Quoted