A Huachuca City man died and his father was hospitalized after they were attacked Sunday by a swarm of bees on the roof of their house.
Witnesses said the men apparently disturbed a hive when they were repairing the roof around 11 a.m., according to the Cochise County Sheriff's Department. Huachuca City is about five miles north of Sierra Vista.
The 59-year-old homeowner managed to get inside the house while his 39-year-old son tried to spray off the bees with a garden hose, a department statement said.
The older man was treated for about 100 stings at the Sierra Vista Regional Health Care Center, where he was listed in stable condition Sunday afternoon.
His son was pronounced dead after being stung about 300 times.
It was unclear whether the son died at the house or at the hospital.
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Whetstone Fire Department firefighters sprayed foam on the house to try to kill the bees, but they, as well as sheriff's depu-ties, were stung.
The names of the victims were not released pending notification of their next of kin.
Reed Booth, a bee expert based in Bisbee, was shocked by the man's death. He said people need to understand the danger of bees.
"All of the wild honeybees in Arizona are Africanized bees," he said. "If you have an existing hive, it is a bomb waiting to go off. It's not if — it's when. People don't take it seriously enough."
Booth urged anyone who sees a hive around his or her home or neighborhood to immediately contact a bee-removal professional.
Sheriff's officials still were investigating the death late Sunday.
