(Farm worker attacked by bees)…It happened Monday in Thermal.
49-year-old Gerardo Balbuena was working the fields at a Date Palm orchard at just after 9:00 am. As he worked he came across a beehive. He was attacked by over 30 bees. After the attack, Balbuena went into cardiac arrest. The Riverside County Fire Department says the man was pronounced dead at the scene. A family member said the man was allergic to bee stings. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death. Balbuena was a native of Morelos, Mexico and had worked at Hadley Date Gardens for 27 years.