A family father died after standing on a small box not realising it was a mini beehive and he ended up being stung dozens of times by the furious bees that quickly emerged.
Michael Leonardo Picirillo had been chatting with a friend and his nine-year-old son Leonardo as they were strolling through a public park in their hometown of Ibate in the Brazilian state of Sao Paolo.
The 34-year-old had accidentally stepped on the small box which contained the beehive, according to local media.
The roused insects immediately attacked Picirillo.
The man went to the Municipal Hospital to receive immediate treatment. Doctors determined that he had got stung more than 50 times. However, they decided against keeping Picirillo overnight.
Picirillo rushed back to the clinic only two hours later due to agonising chest pain. He subsequently died from cardiac arrest.
A spokesman for the city council’s health department said: “Mr Picirillo was in a stable condition when being discharged. He was taken to the emergency unit after suffering cardiac arrest.
“Medical staff tried in vain to resuscitate him for over an hour.”
Picirillo underwent several tests and received drugs before being sent home by doctors, the city council official added.
Clinic department directors have ordered an autopsy.
