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Incident Record

Ripley man stung about 20,000 times after trimming tree branches and cutting into hive

Austin Bellamy was trimming branches in a tree when he cut into a hive and was swarmed; reports said he suffered about 20,000 stings, swallowed bees, developed kidney failure, and was airlifted to the hospital before later improving.

Record ID: OH-BROWN-2022-0826
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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 2022-08-26
Location Ripley, OH, Brown County, OH
State OH
Record Type Public Safety Incident
Trigger / Activity Tree Work / Landscaping / Brush Clearing
Severity Critical / Hospitalized
Bee ID Status Reported Africanized
Aggression Classification Outdoor-work defensive bee attack / hidden-colony disturbance

Incident Summary

Austin Bellamy was trimming branches in a tree when he cut into a hive and was swarmed; reports said he suffered about 20,000 stings, swallowed bees, developed kidney failure, and was airlifted to the hospital before later improving.

Public-Safety Lesson

Tree-trimming jobs need colony lookouts, rescue capability for a suspended worker, and face/airway protection because an attacked climber may be unable to self-rescue.

Impact Flags

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

Source Information

Source: WCPO

Source Strength: B - Established News / Officials