Posted on 11/07/2025 6:03:54 PM PST by 11th_VA
An unexpected attack from swarms of venomous wasps killed two American tourists, a father and his son, during a zip-lining trip in Laos. The attack occurred on October 15 but was publicly reported earlier this week.
A source close to U.S. diplomats in Laos told The Times of London that the hornets overwhelmed Daniel and Cooper Owen as they descended from a tree at Green Jungle Park, an eco-adventure resort near the city of Luang Prabang. The pair, still conscious, was quickly transferred to a clinic and then to the provincial hospital for emergency attention. However, they died a few hours following their arrival at the hospital.
The park expressed condolences for the victims while noting that the attack “was an unforeseeable and extraordinary natural occurrence,” it told The New York Times. It added that officials have since reviewed its safety measures and “further enhanced aspects of our emergency response protocols, including the evacuation process for the zip-line course.”
Asian giant hornets are among the largest hornets in the world. Their stings can inject a deadly neurotoxin that can be fatal, and they are known to react aggressively to perceived threats, landing them the nickname “murder hornets.” They’re native to parts of Asia but have spread across the world in the past few years, including—for a short stint—the United States.
As the park’s statement states, attacks from these insects aren’t impossible but rare. Still, a bad run-in with the fiercely protective wasps can be extremely dangerous.
“Their whole bodies were covered in red spots. It was very, very painful. A lot of stings, more than 100, over the whole body,” Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor at the clinic where the Owens were first treated, told The Times. “I thought already that it’s a very dangerous situation because I had never seen it as bad as that.”
“The son was unconscious and passed away after half an hour, while the father was conscious and passed away about three hours later,” said Jorvue Yianouchongteng, the emergency room physician who attended to the pair, to The Associated Press. “We tried our best to save them but we couldn’t.”
Yianouchongteng added that both patients had been stung more than 100 times and suffered severe anaphylactic shock. However, they have yet to determine the exact cause of death.
Daniel Owen, 47, was originally from Idaho but had been working as the director of QSI International School in Vietnam. Cooper, 15, was a student at the school, which released a statement in memoriam of the victims.
“Dan dedicated 18 years to QSI, serving in five different schools and touching countless lives with his warmth, leadership, and unwavering commitment to education,” the statement read. “He was deeply loved across our community and will be profoundly missed. Our sincere condolences go out to the Owen family and all who knew and loved them.”
I believe it. As I get older, I’m far less into Goopy-Gore and Pink-Spray Violence than I used to be.
That includes the novels. There are exceptions if the violence is done with style,(Martial Arts maybe) and justification, but not very many.
That nest is what napalm was made for.
That was a Laos-y vacation.
“There is no way for them to know where every nest is”
Then they would need signs every hundred yards along the trails for miles.
Father is an administrator of a school which is for children of people who have to work in that area for a long time and want to be with their families. I believe the school the father works at is in Vietnam. So he was on vacation.
Bad way to go.Need to find some kind of antitoxin. Bet the toxin has some pharmacological medicinal use.
I can’t think of a more horrible way to go, RIP.
Man I don’t know about that, Tough call. I just wanna die in my recliner.
If Laos has liberals like we do they’ll only be allowed to be zip lining in bee suits next week.
Bees and hornets pollinate flowers. Without them no fruit trees, no nut trees, no flowers. The world is a giant evo system.
I don’t think wasps and yellow jackets are pollinators.
Could make a meal outta that hornet, sheesh! Didnt realize they were that large!
But as bad as murder hornets are, it’s the “Seriel Killer Flamingos” that ya gotzta watch out for
Yeah. there’s always a meaner hombre out there somewhere. :-)
Yep, coyote peterson did videos where he exposed himself stings of many different things, and there was a show on called “kings of pain” where 2 dudes would let things bite them, sting them, stab them on purpose in order to evaluate the pain index (there was like 3-5 or so things they va,ued like “immediate pain” “lasting pain” “damage to skin or body” etc.
Those 3 peeps are insane! But it was interssting seeing how many sting8ng, stabbing. Biting things there are to watch out for... some really pack a whollop! Some hurt them for many days afterwards. Some caused pretty nasty skin issues.
Like for instance, they jabbed their hands down on lion fish, stone fish, into harvester ant territory, gila monster bites, found wasps with excruciat8ng stings etc.
They did however stay awzy from deadly vipers - but shelby stsnga from swamp loggers used to let copperheads and other poison snakes bite him- eventually buikt up tolerance- ugggh!
Hit one of those hornets and you’d total your vehicle lol
Yeah I’ve seen some of those shows. People will withstand lots of pain so they get internet hits and likes or whatever. Crazy.
There’s a guy on youtube who handles all sorts winged, stinging, biting insects. He seems to know exactly how to hold them. You can see the insects are angru as they struggle in his grip. But while you see them try to sting and bite, they just can’t do it. Them he’ll let them go and they fly away without turning to attack him!
I have seen wasps landing on flowers. Anytime flying insect lands on a flower, the pollen sticks to their feet and spreads it to other flowers.
Whoa Nelly. Where was that?
Ham-Ass’s uncivilized barbarian soul-less animals would say, “hold ma beer but they don’t drink”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.