Father and son killed by swarm of giant Asian hornets as pair ziplined together on adventure holiday
The pair were reportedly stung more than one hundred times by the killer insects.
A father and his teenage son have died after they were stung by a swarm of killer Asian giant hornets during an adventure holiday.
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Daniel Owen, 47, and his son Cooper, 15, were repeatedly swung by the swarm of killer insects while ziplining at an adventure resort in Laos.
The pair were taken to a nearby clinic in serious condition, with their entire bodies covered in red spots.
They were unconscious when they arrived, but were still breathing and showed no sign of anaphylactic shock.
Dr Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor at the Phakan Arocavet Clinic, said: “It was very, very painful. A lot of stings, more than one hundred, over the whole body.
“I thought already that it’s a very dangerous situation because I had never seen it as bad as that.”
Read more: Killer Asian hornets to 'invade Britain' as 500 nests discovered
The pair were then transferred to hospital, where they died a few hours later.
Owen, a US citizen, was the director of one of the branches of Quality Schools International, a private school chain for the children of diplomats from across the globe.
QSI said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Dan Owen, Director of QSI International School of Haiphong, and his son Cooper, due to a tragic accident.
“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.”
Giant Asian hornets have powerful stings that can cause painful and sometimes fatal allergic reactions.
While native to Asian countries, the invasive species first arrived in Europe in 2004, expected to have accidentally been brought over with goods imported from east Asia.
The animals are mostly black and have yellow legs – hence them often being called the yellow legged hornet – with orange faces.
They are not usually not aggressive towards humans but can be if they perceive you as a threat to their nest.