Post by : Raina
Al-Fahim
An American man and his teenage son died after being stung more than 100 times by Asian giant hornets while on holiday in Laos. Officials say the victims, identified as 47-year-old Daniel Owen and his 15-year-old son, Cooper, were attacked during a zip-line activity near Luang Prabang on October 15, according to reports.
Owen, who grew up in Idaho, worked as the headmaster of a private school in Vietnam. He had been travelling with his wife, Jessica, and their son when the incident occurred during a short family break.
Authorities report the two were descending from a tree with a guide when they inadvertently disturbed a nest of Asian giant hornets — the planet’s largest hornet species, known for a powerful sting that can cause severe pain, allergic reactions and, in rare cases, death.
Dr. Phanomsay Phakan of the Phakan Arocavet Clinic, who treated the victims, said the insects swarmed and delivered numerous stings. “Their bodies were covered in red welts — well over 100 stings across both of them,” he said. “I have not seen a case this severe in my two decades of practice.”
Both victims were initially conscious and showed no immediate signs of anaphylactic shock after being rushed to hospital, but their conditions rapidly worsened and they died within hours despite medical intervention.
The eco-adventure site, Green Jungle Park, offered condolences and described the event as an “unforeseeable natural accident.”
“We have reviewed our safety measures following this unprecedented event. It was an extraordinary natural occurrence we had not encountered before,” a park spokesperson added.
The deaths have renewed calls for stricter safety practices in adventure tourism across Southeast Asia, where encounters with venomous insects and wildlife are a known risk. Experts are urging zip-line operators and eco-parks to adopt extra precautions, particularly during hornet breeding seasons.
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