“The male subject was moving an old bag of potting soil from his porch when he was stung by a swarm of bees from inside the bag,” the coroner’s office said in a news release posted to Facebook on Tuesday.

The man’s family immediately administered CPR before an ambulance took him to the hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, the coroner said.

It’s unclear whether Alford was allergic to bees, or how many times he was stung.

“Our heart felt prayers go out to the entire family and friends,” the coroner’s office said in its release.

John W. Jones, the deputy coroner for Harlan County, told The Washington Post on Thursday that Alford’s official cause of death remains under investigation pending the autopsy results.

“It does appear to be a tragic accident at this time,” Jones said.

Alford, known by loved ones as “Mike,” was a former gas station manager who lived in Harlan County for his entire life, according to his obituary. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Chi-Chi Margalene “Margo” Hughes Alford; three children; and 11 grandchildren.

“Mike enjoyed four-wheeling, playing the piano, collecting knives and whittling,” his obituary reads, adding that he “believed in the Christian faith.” His funeral is Saturday.

Nearly 800 people died from stings by bees, hornets and wasps between 2011 and 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most deaths for a single year during that time period was 89 in 2017, according to the CDC.

Most people can tolerate 10 stings per pound of body weight, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“This means that although 500 stings can kill a child, the average adult could withstand more than 1,100 stings,” the USDA says in its outline on bee safety.

What to do if you get attacked by bees? First, run away.

While attacks by swarms of bees are uncommon, several incidents have made headlines in recent years. In 2016, a 23-year-old hiker died after being stung more than 1,000 times in an Arizona park. Earlier this year, a family photo shoot in Arizona turned into a nightmare when a swarm of bees stung a woman more than 75 times, according to officials. In May, an 81-year-old man in Oklahoma survived being attacked by killer bees for three hours.

There are many tips to prevent and treat bee stings.

If bees are attacking en masse, they’re most likely defending their home. The USDA recommends people stay away from honey bee colonies, which can be located in places such as pipes, holes, animal burrows or even in cavities within saguaro cactuses or trees.

“If you find a colony of bees, leave them alone and keep others away,” the USDA says.

She went to the hospital for an infection. Doctors found four bees living in her eye, eating her tears.

If someone encounters aggressive bees, experts recommend running in a straight line to find shelter as fast as possible.

“Do not stop to help others,” the USDA wrote. “As you are running, pull your shirt up over your head or use your arms to protect your face. This will help keep the bees from targeting the sensitive areas around your eyes, nose and ears.”

James Nieh, an ecology professor at the University of California at San Diego who studies bee communication and aggression, told The Post in May that people should be careful when covering their eyes while escaping, as they don’t want to fall down.

“That’s just a recipe for disaster,” he said.

Wearing light-colored clothing could help against bee stings, but trying to swat the bees away could end up agitating them even more, experts say. Nieh said people who are attacked by bees should find a safe and enclosed space such as a building or car with the windows rolled up to separate themselves from the angry swarm. Experts have also noted that jumping into water during a bee attack is not advised, as it increases the chances of getting stung when coming up for air. It also increases the risk of drowning.

Once the situation is safe after you’ve been stung, the CDC recommends removing stingers by swiping gauze or scraping a fingernail over the area. Never squeeze the stinger or use tweezers. Only use an EpiPen immediately if you are severely allergic to bees, experts say. It will help reverse anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that causes your throat to swell within minutes or seconds, making it difficult or impossible to breathe.

Even if you are not the one attacked by bees, the USDA says to not be a hero.

“Do not attempt to rescue them yourself,” the agency says. “Call 911 to report a serious stinging attack. The emergency response personnel in your area have probably been trained to handle bee attacks.”

Katie Camero contributed to this report.