Eastland Man Dies After Being Swarmed by Bees While Mowing Lawn

EASTLAND, TX — An Eastland man died after being attacked by a swarm of bees while mowing a lawn last month, according to a police report.

Steven William Daniel died April 27 due to “circulatory collapse due to bee stings,” according to a justice of the peace. Investigators were later informed that while Daniel was not allergic to bees, he had other underlying medical conditions. 

According to the incident report, police responded to a call after a pickup was involved in a collision with private property.

When an officer arrived at the scene, he observed a pickup moving in reverse. When he opened the door to put it in park, he saw Daniel being swarmed by bees. 

Daniel “seemed out of it, had labored breathing, and was slurring,” the officer stated in the report. 

“I then had to swat bees off myself due to many bees swarming around me and out of the vehicle,” the officer wrote.

Officers helped the man to safety in a patrol unit, but he soon became unresponsive. He stopped breathing on the way to Eastland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Daniel was advised to get out of the pickup but had trouble moving and the responding officers assisted him to the safety a patrol unit. An ambulance arrived on the scene to help Daniel, who became unresponsive and stopped breathing as he was being transported to Eastland Memorial Hospital. 

Authorities say life-saving measures were administered on the way to the hospital, where Daniel was pronounced dead.

Police called a beekeeper to help find the origin of the hive, and a large hive of honeybees was found in an abandoned structure near where Daniel had been mowing.

The bees have since been removed.