William Steele, 95, and his wife, Myrtle, 92, died and their son, Richard, 67, was injured after the swarm of bees attacked them on their Texas ranch as they tried to clean out a hunting cabin.
Investigator Reyes Espinoza for the Jim Hogg County Sheriff's Office told Reuters: "It was a terrible thing. You don't prepare for something like that."
The couple's son Richard told investigators he and his parents were attacked after they moved a wood stove in the cabin and discovered a hive of bees.
He drove about 15 miles to a near by road and called for help. His parents tried to escape the bees, but both perished due to their injuries.
Espinoza also said that the bees swarmed deputies when they arrived at the scene on Monday. They were not stung, but Espinoza said: "You could literally scoop them off of us."
Espinoza also explained that they were likely Africanized honeybees, otherwise known as "killer bees" for their aggression. They are a common bee species found in south Texas.