An American man and his teenage son tragically died last month after being swarmed and stung dozens of times by wasps while ziplining at an adventure camp in Laos, a hospital official confirmed on Thursday.
Dan Owen, the director of an international school in neighboring Vietnam, and his son Cooper were attacked by the insects on October 15 at Green Jungle Park as they descended from a tree at the end of the zip line. The camp is located outside the city of Luang Prabang, a popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian nation and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
Both father and son were initially taken to a local clinic before being transported to Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital in critical condition, according to Jorvue Yianouchongteng, the emergency room physician who treated them.
“The son was unconscious and passed away after half an hour, while the father was conscious and passed away about three hours later,” Dr. Yianouchongteng told The Associated Press. “We tried our best to save them but we couldn’t.”
The doctor noted that both had suffered severe anaphylactic shock following more than 100 stings across their bodies. However, the exact cause of death has not yet been determined.
The Asian giant hornet—sometimes called the “murder hornet” due to its aggressive behavior—inhabits Laos, along with several other species of wasps. It remains unclear which species was responsible for the fatal stings.
In the United States, agriculture officials confirmed the eradication of the Asian giant hornet last December. The invasive species was first spotted in the U.S. in 2019, with verified reports coming from Washington state, which triggered efforts to track and eliminate the hornets.
The local clinic where Owen and his son were first treated declined to comment, and Green Jungle Park did not respond to inquiries from the AP.
Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor at the Phakan Arocavet Clinic where the pair initially received care, told the U.K. Times that their bodies were covered with red spots.
“It was very, very painful,” Phakan said. “A lot of stings, more than 100, over the whole body. I thought already that it’s a very dangerous situation because I had never seen it as bad as that.”
The U.S. State Department confirmed the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Luang Prabang but declined further comment “out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones.” The Laos Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
In a Facebook post, Owen’s employer, Quality Schools International, expressed sadness over the loss. The organization praised him for “touching countless lives” during his 18 years with the chain, which operates 35 schools worldwide.
It noted that Owen had worked at five of its schools and was serving as director of the QSI International School of Haiphong in Vietnam at the time of his death.
“He was deeply loved across our community and will be profoundly missed,” the school said. “Our sincere condolences go out to the Owen family and all who knew and loved them.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-dad-son-die-stung-wasps-ziplining-laos/
