A 59-year-old man has died after he was attacked and stung by a swarm of bees on the porch of his own home.
The horrific incident occurred in Harlan County Tuesday evening as the victim was moving an old bag of soil, according to a Facebook post from the Harlan County Coroner’s Office.
Officials have not formally identified the deceased man, but family members named him as Mike Alford, a married dad and grandfather from Dizney, Kentucky.
Alford’s actions apparently disturbed a swarm of bees that was nesting inside the bag, which then flew out and attacked him, according to the coroner’s office.
The 59-year-old’s family members who were at home at the time came to his aid and began CPR, before an ambulance arrived and medics took over the life-saving efforts.
“CPR was started by family, continued by Lifeguard Ambulance and the Emergency Department until those attempts failed,” authorities said.
According to Alford’s obituary, he was a former gas station manager who lived his entire life in Harlan county and enjoyed four-wheeling, playing the piano, collecting knives and whittling. Survivors include his wife Chi-Chi Margalene “Margo” Hughes Alford, three children and 11 grandchildren.
“The investigation still continues by Deputy Coroner Jones and our heartfelt prayers go out to the entire family and friends,” Jones said in the statement.
His daughter Marlana Ledford has launched a GoFundMe campaign, writing in the description that her father died in an “accident with bees.”
She said that Alford did not have life insurance and that that his family were struggling to come up with the money for his funeral set for Saturday.
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