Boys’ father and neighbor also stung, but survived
Two little boys, Enrique and Pedro Thiessen, 4 and 5, who were playing in their yard, were attacked by killer bees. One of the boys is dead, and the other has been hospitalized in a critical condition. The boys’ father and neighbor were also attacked by the bees, but they were treated and released from the hospital.
The tragedy occurred in the Mennonite community of Little Belize in Corozal District at about 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
The boys’ father, Jacobo Thiessen, told police that he, his wife and a neighbor were working in their house when he heard his sons, Enrique and Pedro, who were playing in the backyard, scream. They rushed to see what was happening, and that was when he saw that his sons were being swarmed and attacked by hundreds of killer bees.
Enrique’s face and body were covered by the insects. The other son, Pedro, was also covered with bees.
Jacobo went to rescue his sons, and along with other people of the area, managed to divert the bees from the boys. Thiessen then took his sons to the Northern Medical Plaza Hospital.
Enrique was declared dead on arrival, while Pedro was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit, where he is fighting for his life in a critical condition. Thiessen and his neighbor, who were also stung by the bees, were very dehydrated, vomiting, and sweating. They were treated, stabilized and later released.
The doctor who saw the four victims said that when he saw 4-year-old Enrique, he tried to resuscitate him, but the boy had already passed away. The doctor said that the boy had been overwhelmed by the bees, which attacked every part of the boy’s body – so much so that when the dead boy’s mouth was opened, bees came out of his mouth and nose. He said that the many stings caused the organs to become swollen, and the boy died of respiratory complications.
Enrique’s brother, Pedro, was urinating blood, and other complications were expected to surface within 72 hours. He is now under observation, but he is in a critical condition.
Enrique, according to a doctor’s report, received about 500 bee stings, which proved fatal. About 1,000 bee stings can kill an adult, said the doctor.
The Belize Agriculture and Health Authorities (BAHA) has mounted an operation to destroy the killer bees in the area.