Asian giant hornets kill American father and son in Laos, stinging them over 100 times

In a horrifying incident, Asian giant hornets stung a school headmaster and his teenage son to death while they were on vacation in Laos. The Times reported that Daniel Owens and his 15-year-old son Cooper were zip-lining at an eco-adventure resort near Luang Prabang on the Mekong River on October 15, when the hornets attacked them, delivering over 100 lethal stings, local authorities said. They were trying to descend from a tree with the help of their guide when a swarm of nasty hornets surrounded them. Notably, Asian giant hornets are up to two inches long, and their stinger measures a quarter-inch. They were facing difficulties getting off the tree when the hornets raided them. The father and son were rushed to the hospital, where they passed away. There is no word on the status of the guide.

“Their whole bodies were covered in red spots. It was very, very painful. A lot of stings, more than one hundred, over the whole body,” Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor at the Phakan Arocavet Clinic, said. He said that he had never seen anything this bad before in his career of 20 years. “I thought already that it’s a very dangerous situation," the doctor said.

Laos camp calls incident “unprecedented” and “extraordinary natural occurrence”

Meanwhile, the eco resort said nothing like this had ever happened before. “Green Jungle Park extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Daniel and Cooper Owen. Following this incident, we have reviewed all existing procedures,” a spokesperson for the luxury camping and adventure resort said. “This event is unprecedented in our experience and, to our understanding, in Luang Prabang as well," he said, adding that it was an "unforeseeable and extraordinary natural occurrence."

Owen is originally from Idaho, US, and was the director of Quality Schools International, an elite private school, in Vietnam. Reports suggest that the school charges $760 per month for tuition. The school issued a statement in this matter, saying, "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."