An Arizona golf course employee has died after being attacked by bees while performing maintenance work on the eighth hole.
Rick Messina, 57, was working near the 8th hole at Pusch Ridge Course, part of El Conquistador Golf Club in Oro Valley, on June 24 when he was stung by a swarm of bees.
He was mowing his lawn around 7 a.m. on that fateful day when the swarm struck. Messina was taken to the hospital and died due to complications from the bee stings three days later on June 27.
“Rick was a dedicated and beloved member of our team, known for his exceptional work ethic, positive attitude and unwavering commitment to his duties,” El Conquistador Golf Club told DailyMail.com.
Rick Messina, 57, was working near the 8th hole at Pusch Ridge Course, part of El Conquistador Golf Club in Oro Valley, on June 24 when he was stung by a swarm of bees.
He was mowing his lawn around 7 a.m. when the swarm attacked him. Messina was taken to the hospital and died due to complications from the bee stings three days later on June 27.
‘El Conquistador Golf and Indigo Sports have deployed support resources for both Rick’s family and our team to help them all through this difficult time.’
El Conquistador is a massive golf and tennis club featuring three golf courses, 31 tennis courts, a full fitness center, an Olympic-sized pool, 10 pickleball courts, a racquetball court, and a restaurant.
Full golf memberships start at $535 per month for families and $360 for individuals.
Messina has been working on the agronomy team at El Conquistador Golf Club since July 2022.
Beekeepers inspected all 45 golf holes at all three courses on the day of the Messina attack and found no bee activity.
“It appears Rick was attacked by a swarm of bees that were traveling through the area,” the club said.
Experts have advised community members to remain vigilant during peak bee swarm season.
“The City would like to remind all citizens to be cautious of wildlife and poisonous creatures in our region. Summer is peak bee swarm season, so please remain alert,” Oro Valley said in a statement obtained by 13 News.
Messina has been working on the agronomy team at El Conquistador Golf Club since July 2022.
In April, the start of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers was delayed due to a bee colony behind home plate, forcing the evacuation of seats in some sections.
The game was scheduled to start at 7 p.m. local time in Phoenix, with a delay of more than 90 minutes to allow the bees to be successfully removed from the field of play.
Chase Field has a retractable roof, but it was open Tuesday night, bringing in the bees.
Finally, a beekeeper, Matt Hilton, was hoisted up to the pole, 30 feet above the ground, where the swarm was located. Hilton sprayed and vacuumed them out of sight.