Africanized bees leave another man dead

Ramon Mendez

Two men, both of whom are seventy-seven year old, have been killed in the past three months by deadly Africanized bees. The latest victim is a resident and farmer of Benque Viejo del Carmen. The bees descended him and a group of men who had gone to cut firewood in an area off the Arenal road.  Last October, Domingo Mendoza was also attacked and killed by the African bees at his Roaring Creek farm.  Marion Ali today headed west and visited the home of Ramon Mendez and travelled about ten miles further to the farm where the incident occurred.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The family of seventy-seven year old Ramon Mendez is grieving after he was stung multiple times by African bees on Wednesday at his farm.  News Five visited the home and spoke with Sonia Vaca, who said that her dad left home as usual on Wednesday morning to cut firewood.  But he did not return in the afternoon as he normally did.

Sonia Vaca

Sonia Vaca, Daughter of Deceased

“He usually goes to his ranch nearly every day. As he goes, he usually does his daily duties and then he comes back. Sometimes by two-thirty, three he’s right here. But unfortunately, on this day he was so desperate to leave that he didn’t have any breakfast. So he left, prepared what he had to do and he went. When he started doing his duties, he was cleaning some area because he was going to plant. So he needed to clean the area, therefore he was cutting off the dry wood. That’s the reason why the neighbour went because they were going to bring the firewood. So they were cutting an old rotten tree and the noise from the power saw is what alerted the bees and since he was the one with the power saw, everybody ran but he did not have the chance to run.”

This spot on the farm was the furthest point that Mendez could walk on his own after being stung.  He and a group of men were on a hill further up where they were attacked by the deadly bees.  Saulo Moralez was there and tried to help the elderly farmer.

Saulo Morales

Saulo Morales, Tried to Rescue Deceased

“We gone up dah hill calmly. We mi di cut logs and everything and all of a sudden den yah bees come out ah nowhere and dehn start to attack wah next friend weh mi come wid we, which is his nephew. Ih start attack we and we just come down. After when I come down dis hill yah, I look back fi si if di old man come down but I noh si nobody. I gone up back and when I gone up back I climb dah hill weh deh up deh so and I si dis man full up ah bees. So I seh dis man di try save ihself so I have to go try save ah and I gone up deh. I mi got wah cap weh mark Belize and I start tek weh di bees from he. So di bees start attack me so I couldn’t do noh moh cause di bees done di attack me and thing.”

Morales said Mendez was in such dire straits after the attack that there was nothing anyone could do.

Saulo Morales

“From ih waist cover up mi cover up wid all dehn bees; ih face and everything. All yah, ih face and everything got messed up. He started vomiting. He started vomiting and he laid down on the ground and that’s where I saw he was really bad.”

Marion Ali

“So what happened after that?”

Saulo Morales

“After dat we took him to di hospital and on di way di old man died.”

The sudden death has paralyzed the family and neighbours who never imagined that this was how their loved one and friend would die.

Sonia Vaca

“We’re trying our best to hold on. We are together, we are working together and I hope we’ll stay that way.”

Saulo Morales

“Bad experience, first time. I think it will never happen to me again.”

Ramon Mendez will be laid to rest on Thursday.  He is survived by his wife Vilma and seven children. Reporting for News Five, I am Marion Ali.

Sonia Vaca told us that her father had called the Agriculture Department in Benque Viejo Town to take down the bee hive but they never responded.  She added however, that she does not lay blame on anyone for her father’s death. At news time, two of the missing persons were located and treated. They are now at home.