An American Man and His Son Die After Wasp Attack in Laos
An American man and his teenage son tragically lost their lives after being attacked by a swarm of wasps while ziplining at an adventure camp in Laos last month. The incident occurred on October 15 at Green Jungle Park, located near Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Dan Owen, director of an international school in Vietnam, and his son Cooper were descending from a tree at the end of the zip line when the insects swarmed them. Both were transported first to a local clinic and later to Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital in critical condition.
"The son was unconscious and passed away after half an hour, while the father was conscious and passed away about three hours later. We tried our best to save them but we couldn't," said Dr. Jorvue Yianouchongteng, an emergency room physician who treated them.
According to the doctor, both victims had suffered severe anaphylactic shock after being stung more than a hundred times across their bodies. Although the final cause of death remains undetermined, the medical response indicated the attack’s extraordinary severity. The Asian giant hornet, often called the “murder hornet,” inhabits Laos along with several other wasp species.
Summary
Dan Owen and his son Cooper died after suffering hundreds of wasp stings while ziplining in Laos; both succumbed to anaphylactic shock despite emergency efforts.