An American father and his teenage son died after being stung by swarms of venomous wasps on a zip-lining tour through the tropical forests of northern Laos last month.
Daniel Owen, 47, originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and his son Cooper, 15, were visiting from Haiphong, Vietnam, where Mr. Owen was the director of QSI International School and Cooper was a student.
The attack occurred on Oct. 15 at an adventure park near the city of Luang Prabang, north of the Thai border. They were eventually taken to a small clinic about 12 miles away, where Dr. Phanomsay Phakan said he tried to help before guiding them to more advanced care.
“The patients stayed at our clinic for a short time because our medical facilities are limited,” Dr. Phanomsay said on Wednesday. “The condition of the father and son was very serious, so they were quickly transferred to a nearby provincial hospital for further treatment.”
Dr. Phanomsay said he was told that they were stung by wasps, but within that grouping are various kinds of hornets that are known to aggressively protect their nests. Asian giant hornets, also known as murder hornets, sting with a venom that contains neurotoxins and tissue-destroying enzymes that can be fatal, especially for those who receive multiple stings.
In the case of Mr. Owen and his son, the exact cause of death was not immediately clear. Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital, where they were taken from Dr. Phanomsay’s clinic, did not respond to a request for clarification. The Laotian health ministry declined to comment.
