Camilla Jessen
Daniel Owen and his son Cooper were stung over 100 times by Asian giant hornets.
A school principal from the U.S. and his 15-year-old son were killed after being swarmed by hornets while ziplining at a jungle resort in Laos.
According to The New York Post, the victims, Daniel Owen, 47, and his son Cooper, were stung more than 100 times during a family vacation near Luang Prabang on October 15.
Daniel, originally from Idaho, was the director of Quality Schools International (QSI) in Haiphong, Vietnam, where he had worked for nearly two decades.
The father and son were descending a tree zipline with their guide when they were attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia), the world’s largest hornet species, known for their extremely painful and sometimes deadly stings.
Though both arrived at the hospital conscious and without signs of severe allergic shock, their conditions deteriorated quickly, and they died within hours.
Dr. Phanomsay Phakan of the Phakan Arocavet Clinic said it was the worst hornet attack he had seen in over 20 years of practice.
“Their whole bodies were covered in red spots… more than one hundred stings,” he said, as cited by Unilad.
The Green Jungle Park, which operates the zipline attraction, called the tragedy an “unprecedented” natural occurrence and has since reviewed safety protocols.
Asian giant hornets are known to become extremely aggressive if their nest is disturbed. Experts say the number of stings that can be fatal varies, as it depends on an individual’s reaction.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
