Lima boy dies after attacked by swarm of bees

An Essequibo boy died last week after he was attacked by bees and his organs failed.

Dead is Romesh Samaroo, nine-years-old, of Lima, Essequibo.

According to Vijay Samaroo, the father of Romesh, the lad was riding his bicycle in the area when a swarm of bees from bush that was disturbed by a cricket ball completely covered his body and stung him. Vijay said he was told that the boys who were responsible for lashing the ball into the bush, and all of whom had retreated to a nearby trench,

Romesh Samaroo
Romesh Samaroo

called out his son to jump in. However, the grieving father told Stabroek News that his son did not jump, since he could not swim. Vijay said after some time, Romesh’s maternal grandfather, whom he was visiting at the time, was summoned to the scene, only to see the boy, squirming as he was being stung by the bees. The elderly man, reportedly grabbed Romesh and jumped into the nearby trench, in spite of his inability to swim, like his grandson.

Romesh was eventually rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital, where he was being treated. “Then suddenly on Thursday [August 21] they [doctors] send me to do test on Romesh kidney” Vijay said, as he expressed his surprise at the request, since he had been told that his son was recovering.

Additionally, Vijay said that Romesh was referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) at 2pm last Thursday. It was at the GPH the man said, doctors attached to the paediatric ward, informed him that Romesh’s kidneys and heart were failing because of the amount of toxins injected into his body by the bees.

A post-mortem examination later found that Romesh had died as a result of kidney and heart failure.

Romesh is survived by his parents and a five-year-old sister.