Delivery Rider Takes 40 Bee Stings to Save Girl in Brazil, Receives Car and Motorcycle for His Courage

BELO HORIZONTE: A delivery rider in Brazil put himself in harm’s way to rescue a young girl who was surrounded by a swarm of bees near a school in Ibirité, in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte.

The incident happened on Monday near a school on Rua Flor de Luz in the Ouro Negro neighborhood. Delivery rider Vinícius Martins said he saw the girl crying and screaming as dozens of bees swarmed around her. When she did not respond to his calls, he ran toward her, pulled her away from the swarm and carried her toward the school. He even used a deodorant from his motorcycle delivery box in an attempt to drive the bees away. “I didn’t think twice because I have two girls,” Vinícius told Brazilian news outlet Itatiaia. “I saw her there, poor thing, suffering. There were bees even getting into her nose.”

Once they reached the school grounds, Vinícius called for people to pour water over the girl. The bees eventually dispersed after she was sprayed with a hose. Images showed her arms red and covered with signs of bee stings. Vinícius later said on social media that he himself had suffered around 40 stings, but had managed to save the girl. He said he had not yet been able to confirm her current condition.

According to the Military Fire Department of Minas Gerais (CBMMG), emergency teams were called to the scene at around 1 p.m. The bee swarm was reportedly triggered after a hive fell from a tree near the school entrance. Several students required medical attention because of the stings and were assisted by the SAMU emergency medical service.

The school’s students were subsequently released while authorities dealt with the situation. Firefighters said the bees were removed later that night, when conditions were considered more suitable for safely carrying out the operation.

For Vinícius, however, the decision to help was immediate. He saw a child in distress and ran toward the danger — taking dozens of stings himself to get her to safety.

The young man’s bravery also earned him recognition beyond the rescue itself. As a reward for his heroism, he was presented with a car and a motorcycle as gifts, honoring his courage and quick action in coming to the girl’s aid.