Father killed, son hospitalised in Rupununi Bee attack

Dec 30, 2024 News

Kaieteur News-An attack by Africanised bees on Sunday morning along Huntoil Stretch, Central Rupununi, Region Nine, killed a father and left his 13-year-old son hospitalised.

The dead man has been identified as Daniel Darrell Snr., a 39-year-old truck driver of Tabatinga Central Lethem. Hospitalised at the Lethem Hospital is Daniel Darrell Jr.

Father killed, son hospitalised in Rupununi Bee attack

Dead: Daniel Darrell.

A swarm of Africanised bees attacked them around 11:30hrs while they were returning home on a motorcycle.

Police said that they both fell to the ground after the bees attacked them. A photo of the motorcycle painted a scene as if they veered off the road.

“…the son managed to run to safety (even though attacked), while the father was attacked and bitten by the bees, and became motionless on the ground” police said.

Kaieteur News understands that an individual identified only as “Franklyn” placed his own life in danger to help rescue the man’s son.

“A minibus was passing at the time and the son was rescued and rushed to Lethem Regional Hospital, where he remains hospitalised in a serious condition”, police said. His father was pronounced dead at the scene by a medical team dispatched to area.

A 42-year-old bee keeper was immediately summoned to smoke out the bees in order to make the Huntoil Stretch safe for other passersby.

Darrell’s motorcycle.

News of the tragedy has seen an outpouring of tributes from Darrell’s friends and family.

His sister-in-law in a Facebook post said, “You never know when it’s your last day, let’s show some love and respect to each other every day,” she said before adding “you’ve gone on trips you’ve rode all the way to come assist your biker brothers and sisters when needed. It’s so sad the family was unable to find you on time to save you.”