A 65-year-old Gilbert man died Monday after being attacked by bees while working at a Scottsdale independent living facility, police said Tuesday.

Nicolas Lopez Soto and two other men were attacked by the bees at Vi at Silverstone Independent Living facility, 23005 N. 74th St.

Soto and another worker were reportedly using a lift to remove stucco from a side column near the roof area when the bee attack happened around 9:30 a.m. July 7, according to a Scottsdale Police Department release.

“While working, they were attacked by bees and used the lift to get back to the ground. By the time the lift was back on the ground, Soto was unconscious,” the release stated.

He was removed from the lift, and CPR was performed until he could be taken to a hospital by fire crews. He was pronounced dead at 10:15 a.m. at the hospital.

Soto was wearing a T-shirt, jeans and boots, and he had numerous bee stings on the exposed areas of his body, as well as stings on areas covered by his clothing, police said.

The man with Soto on the lift had about two dozen bee stings on his body. A third man with the work crew on the ground had about a dozen bee stings.

The other two men were in stable condition when they were taken to the hospital. They were treated for their stings and held for observation.

Scottsdale police are conducting a death investigation along with the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, which will determine the cause of death.

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