Athlete Waldonilton de Andrade Reis Dies After Accidentally Swallowing Bee

Waldonilton de Andrade Reis, a professional rower, died after accidentally swallowing a bee while biking along the coast of Brazil, according to the New York Post. He was 43 years old. Reis was reportedly leading a cycling tour of Ponta Negra beach in Manaus, Amazonas on March 2. His family said a bee flew down the athlete’s throat midway through the ride. Reis went into anaphylactic shock, which is a life-threatening allergic reaction. 

Help didn’t arrive until 20 minutes after the incident due to the lack of medical facilities in the area. “There was no help, no health center, no hospital close by,” Reis’ sister Rosilene Reis said. “The most that was available was a fire Department base that didn’t have a doctor on duty.”

View on X

A fireman arrived to attempt the resuscitate the athlete before medics arrived. Waldonilton de AndradeReis was rushed to a hospital before transferring to an intensive care unit. The New York Post said Reis died on Thursday, and Rosiline blamed the death on the slow response time. “If there had been adequate care, a doctor, a fireman, or a health center, someone could have resuscitated my brother,” she said, per Mirror. “But how did he pass? More than three minutes, it took a while to be taken to Joventina, he couldn’t stand it. No person could stand it.”

The family is calling on officials to implement better emergency provisions in the region where Reis was stung. It’s not known if Reis was aware of his allergy to bees. As mentioned by Hollywood Unlocked, the common symptoms of anaphylactic shock include swelling of the face, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, rapid or weak pulse, low blood pressure, dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting and skin rash or hives.