VIENTIANE (The Straits Times/ANN): An American man and his teenage son died after being attacked by deadly hornets while on holiday in Laos.
Daniel Owen, 47, and his son Cooper, 15, were zip-lining in Green Jungle Park, an eco-adventure resort near Luang Prabang along the Mekong River in Laos on Oct 15, the New York Post reported on Nov 3.
They were attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets – an invasive, predatory insect dubbed “murder hornets” – and stung more than a hundred times.
Owens – a director at an international school in Vietnam – and his son, both Americans, struggled to come down from a tree they had climbed with their guide.
They both died hours after being taken to a nearby hospital. It is unclear what happened to their guide.
Asian giant hornets can grow up to 6.35cm. Their venom can cause necrosis – the death of cells or tissue – around the entry wound.
If victims get stung many times, it can be fatal, especially if the venom reaches the victim’s organs via the bloodstream.
Dr Phanomsay Phakan from Phakan Arocavet Clinic said he had never seen such a bad situation, nor had he seen a death from stings in his career spanning more than 20 years.
Owen and his son were still breathing when they arrived at the clinic, and showed no symptoms of anaphylactic shock, reported the US Sun tabloid.
Anaphylactic shock is a life-threatening allergic reaction caused by exposure to an allergen, such as the venom in insect stings, among other things.
British Beekeepers Association spokesman Ian Campbell told British daily The Times that the danger from hornet stings can vary, and there is no telling how many stings it takes to trigger an allergic reaction or if it can lead to death.
He said: “A lot of it is down to the individual response – people do get injured, people do get hospitalised and, on occasion, people die. So, there is a public health risk from this.
“The severity of an attack can be worse if a nest is disturbed. They will defend it vigorously and in force.”
In 2020, the New York Times reported that Asian giant hornets kill up to 50 people a year in Japan.
After the incident, a Green Jungle Park spokesman said the eco-park has “reviewed all existing procedures”.
“This event is unprecedented in our experience and, to our understanding, in Luang Prabang as well. It was an unforeseeable and extraordinary natural occurrence,” the spokesman added.
Quality Schools International (QSI) said in a statement on its Facebook page on Oct 28 that it was deeply saddened by Mr Owen’s death.
It added: “Dan dedicated 18 years to QSI, serving in five different schools and touching countless lives with his warmth, leadership and unwavering commitment to education.
“He was deeply loved across our community and will be profoundly missed. Our sincere condolences go out to the Owen family and all who knew and loved them.” - The Straits Times/ANN
