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Posted
On 7/17/2024 at 5:11 PM, yoladu said:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/top-chef-masters-star-naomi-012523486.html

 

“Top Chef Masters” star Naomi Pomeroy dies in inner tube accident at 49

I used to go tubing every summer weekend for a solid 20 years. One thing your learn quickly is to never tie up with people. So many bad things can and will happen. I was trailing a convoy of ten tubers when they got hung up in a rapid. Me and my cooler tube blasted through them. 

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Posted
Sure those were bees and not something else? I can’t remember if it’s hornets or yellow jackets that live under ground, but they don’t play.

Africanized bees have been a problem in that part of Texas for the last 30+ years.
Posted
2 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

Sure those were bees and not something else? I can’t remember if it’s hornets or yellow jackets that live under ground, but they don’t play.

 

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

African bees are aggressive as hell and can follow you for up to a mile (says our bee guy)

 

Can confirm. 

I was working on a ranch outside of Laredo about 20 years ago. I was walking in thick grass and somehow disturbed a nest of Africanized bees. I don't know exactly what I did, but suddenly I was getting stung on my face and neck. 

I Usain Bolt-ed it back to my truck (in work boots and snake chaps). Thank god that 1) the door wasn't locked, and 2) the windows were rolled up. I out ran them back to the truck, but they followed me and quickly caught up. I have no doubt that they would have outlasted me if my truck had been much further away. 

They followed the truck for probably half a mile, until I got to pavement and could out run them.  

 

I had about 9 or 10 stings total on my face, neck, left hand and left arm. My lefthand swelled up like and my fingers looked like bloated sausages. I took some benadryl and had the epipen ready to go just in case, but ended up not needing it. 

 

Called the land owner later and gave him the GPS coordinates of the hive. He said he'd get the flamethrower out and kill those fuckers with fire. 

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Posted
2 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

Sure those were bees and not something else? I can’t remember if it’s hornets or yellow jackets that live under ground, but they don’t play.

Yellow jackets nest in the ground. Their nest burrows can be really difficult to spot as they even use camouflage occasionally. If you're running a bush wacker on a hill and step on them you won't hear them swarming you. They WILL chase you so you might want to consider killing the engine on your portable circular saw and drop it before you tumble down the hill fighting off the 20-30 yellow jackets stinging your leg. Particularly, if you are allergic to wasps.

Does that sound like an oddly specific story? It happened to a guy I know.

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Posted
12 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

 

Can confirm. 

I was working on a ranch outside of Laredo about 20 years ago. I was walking in thick grass and somehow disturbed a nest of Africanized bees. I don't know exactly what I did, but suddenly I was getting stung on my face and neck. 

I Usain Bolt-ed it back to my truck (in work boots and snake chaps). Thank god that 1) the door wasn't locked, and 2) the windows were rolled up. I out ran them back to the truck, but they followed me and quickly caught up. I have no doubt that they would have outlasted me if my truck had been much further away. 

They followed the truck for probably half a mile, until I got to pavement and could out run them.  

 

I had about 9 or 10 stings total on my face, neck, left hand and left arm. My lefthand swelled up like and my fingers looked like bloated sausages. I took some benadryl and had the epipen ready to go just in case, but ended up not needing it. 

 

Called the land owner later and gave him the GPS coordinates of the hive. He said he'd get the flamethrower out and kill those fuckers with fire. 

Wild.  You're lucky.  I've head many other stories that are similar.  It's wild.

It's the Japanese hornets that scare the ever-living crap out of me

Posted
9 minutes ago, BurntEyes said:

Yellow jackets nest in the ground. Their nest burrows can be really difficult to spot as they even use camouflage occasionally. If you're running a bush wacker on a hill and step on them you won't hear them swarming you. They WILL chase you so you might want to consider killing the engine on your portable circular saw and drop it before you tumble down the hill fighting off the 20-30 yellow jackets stinging your leg. Particularly, if you are allergic to wasps.

Does that sound like an oddly specific story? It happened to a guy I know.

Known more than a few guys operating open-air tractors that had serious run-in's with ground dwelling hornets that could have ended badly.  One old boy tumbled off the seat and almost got run over by those big back tires.  

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Posted
2 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

Sure those were bees and not something else? I can’t remember if it’s hornets or yellow jackets that live under ground, but they don’t play.

Three or four years ago I unknowingly mowed over a bumble bee ground nest.  I was stung about 30 times on the head and shoulders before they started calming down and I got away.  Bumble bees are normally very docile.  Hell, even now, if one lands on me I'll pet it and they seem to enjoy it.  But anything will get pissed off and attack if you mess with their home.

I got sick as a dog and had to go to the ER.  I now have an epipen to carry around, and three or four of the places where I was stung will form pustules from time to time.  I was lucky that it wasn't Africanized bees.

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Posted
46 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:


Oh…it’s been longer than that….

48241524e290de82f97d94fed4cfca11.jpg

Terrible movie but better than the Michael Caine The Swarm garbage. 

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Father Sliced to Death By Child’s Toy

A 41-year-old Brazilian father died in a motorcycle accident on June 3, 2025, when a razor-sharp kite string sliced his throat while he was traveling to visit his daughter in Duque de Caxias in northern Rio de Janeiro.

Auriel Missael Henrique was riding a motorcycle with his wife when they collided with what appeared to be an ordinary string hanging across the road. The string was part of a fighting kite, known locally as linha chilena, which had been coated with glue and powdered glass to create a cutting edge used in competitive kite battles.

The glass-coated cord became entangled around Henrique’s neck as the motorcycle sped along the road, slicing open his throat and leaving him critically wounded. His niece Gislayne Crisley reported that a passing driver and Henrique’s wife attempted to stem the bleeding and rushed him to a hospital in Nova Iguacu.

Henrique suffered cardiac arrest during transport and died before reaching the hospital. The motorcycle taxi driver and cook left behind three children aged 21, 19, and six.

Kite fighting represents a popular hobby in Brazil where participants coat kite strings with glue and powdered glass to cut the strings of rival kites during aerial battles. The reinforced strings are sharp enough to slice through human skin and electric wires, making them particularly dangerous when they drift into traffic areas or public spaces.

The practice has been illegal in Rio de Janeiro and results in more than 100 accidents annually, according to the Brazilian Association of Motorcyclists (ABRAM). The organization reports that half of all kite-string incidents result in serious injuries such as scars and mutilations, while 25 percent prove fatal.

Since 2019, a hotline established to report illegal use of the razor-sharp strings has received more than 2,800 reports in Rio state alone. Motorcyclists are particularly susceptible to severe injuries or death when they encounter these sharp strings while riding.

To protect themselves from the deadly cords, many motorcyclists install special antennas equipped with razor blades on the front of their bikes. These antenna-like posts are designed to cut any string that might cross a rider’s path before it can cause harm. The company that administers one of Rio’s main highways regularly distributes these protective devices to motorcyclists.

The sale and use of razor-sharp kite lines are already banned in some parts of Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro. However, enforcement remains inconsistent, and the low cost of the materials makes regulation particularly challenging. The strings can often be made at home for minimal expense.

A federal bill currently progressing through Brazil’s congress seeks to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and use of the dangerous strings nationwide. The proposed legislation would impose prison sentences of one to three years and substantial fines on violators. Lawmakers in Brazil are seeking to prohibit the manufacture, sale and use of the deadly strings.

The bill received approval from Brazil’s lower house in February 2024 and is now awaiting a vote in the senate. If passed, the law would create the first nationwide prohibition of the lethal kite strings.

While kite-fighting competitions are held safely in designated areas in countries like France and Chile, Brazil’s widespread and unregulated use of the razor-sharp strings has caused numerous accidents over the years. The strings pose particular danger when they sweep across highways where speeding motorists struggle to spot them.

Kites maintain a long history in Brazil and are especially popular in Rio’s favelas. For many residents, kites represent childhood memories and recreational activities. However, when attached to cutting lines, the toys can become fatal weapons.

The incident in Brazil occurred during the same time period as two cyclists in New York were injured by kite strings on the Marine Parkway Bridge. One man remained hospitalized with serious neck injuries while a woman sustained injuries to her head and hands, demonstrating that the danger extends beyond Brazil’s borders.

No official data exists on the total number of injuries and deaths nationwide caused by the cutting lines in Brazil. However, the Independent reports that at least five people have died from similar incidents since 2020, with many more suffering injuries from the razor-sharp strings used in competitive kite fighting.

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