Safira Emanuele is 12 years old, and that day she was leaving school as usual.
A swarm fell from a tree next to the entrance of Jardim Montreal, in Ibirité, Brazil, and within seconds completely surrounded her. She clutched her neck, couldn’t breathe properly, and that’s when Vinícius Martins de Paulo appeared, a motorcyclist who happened to be passing by. He didn’t think twice, grabbed a deodorant he was carrying in the trunk, and began spraying the bees while shouting for help, running alongside her toward the school.
Safira ended up with more than 100 stings, some in her mouth and tongue, and was hospitalized in intensive care in Minas Gerais. Her mother, Luciene Gomes dos Santos, described her as swollen and transformed, as if she were another person. Vinícius, who didn’t know her, stayed until emergency help arrived.