Ronnie Ang enjoyed cycling regularly along the Sembawang Park Connector. But the 60-year-old’s leisurely ride on July 4, 2022, was tragically his last after he was attacked by hornets and died in hospital three days later.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda delivered his findings on Ang’s death on Sept 13, ruling it a tragic misadventure.
At around 11.40am on July 4, 2022, Ang was cycling along the park connector near the Sembawang God of Wealth Temple in Admiralty Street when he encountered a swarm of hornets. It is believed that the hornet nest, some 12m up in a tree along the path, could have just been attacked by a predator, causing part of it to fall to the ground.
The hornets, which were identified as vespa affinis, or the lesser banded hornet, are not typically known to be aggressive. But because their nest had been disturbed, the swarm could have become defensive and attacked Ang as he rode past.
He was stung multiple times but kept cycling until he managed to get past them. Then he stopped at a nearby block and called his wife, who called an ambulance and also went to look for him.
The paramedics arrived at about 12.20pm and took him to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. He was checked and showed no signs of an allergic reaction but was kept under observation.
The hospital was also told about his existing heart conditions, including a stent that was inserted into an artery in 2014.
A blood test later showed he was suffering from progressive organ failure, and despite measures taken to treat him, there were signs of severe kidney injury.In the early hours of July 7, 2022, his condition deteriorated, and he died that day at around 7am. — The Straits Times/ANN
