A 55-year-old amateur beekeeper from the Isle of Wight has died after suffering a catastrophic allergic reaction to a bee sting on his ear, a coroner's court has heard.
Fatal Reaction During Routine Beekeeping
Alan Ransom, a civil engineer from Godshill, was attending to his hives at Marvel Solar Farm Aviary on 10 May 2024 when the incident occurred. The inquest heard he was not wearing his protective beekeeper's hat at the time and was stung on his left ear.
Mr Ransom, who had around six years of beekeeping experience, rapidly went into anaphylactic shock. Emergency services, including the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, rushed to the scene. He was transported to St Mary's Hospital on the island but died five days later on 15 May 2024.
Coroner's Findings and Medical Cause
At a written inquest held at the Isle of Wight Coroner's Court, Coroner Caroline Sumeray concluded the cause of death was misadventure.
The medical cause was recorded as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy – brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen – resulting from anaphylactic shock triggered by the bee sting.
Tributes and Lasting Legacy
Alan Ransom, originally from Epsom, Surrey, was a well-known figure in the local beekeeping community. He ran a YouTube channel called 'The Vectis Bee Man', where he documented his journey, and typically produced about 40 jars of honey annually.
In 2023, he made local headlines by safely rehoming a swarm of approximately 2,000 bees from the car park of his employer, Island Roads, to one of his hives.
Following his death, his friends and family raised over £1,500 for Cancer Research UK in his memory. Tributes described him as a 'great man and a great friend' and a 'kind and gentle soul'.
The Isle of Wight Beekeepers Association expressed profound sadness at the loss of one of their members, extending their thoughts to his family.
