A family’s vacation last month took a tragic turn — from a danger no one saw coming.
According to The Times on Tuesday, Idaho’s Daniel Owen and his son Cooper died on October 15 while ziplining on vacation in Laos. But they didn’t fall, no — they were attacked suddenly by a swarm of hornets! The boy was so young, only 15 years old, and his father reportedly passed away either on or just before his 47th birthday. How sad.
The pair was at the Green Jungle Park near the city of Luang Prabang to zipline while on vacation. A source close to US diplomats in Laos told The Times that hundreds of what appeared to be Asian giant hornets stung Daniel and Cooper as they struggled to descend from a tree with their guide at the park. They were taken to the Phakan Arocavet Clinic for treatment. When the father and son arrived, they were conscious and showed no signs of anaphylactic shock. However, they died a few hours later after they were transferred to the Luang Prabang provincial hospital. It is unknown if their guide was injured in the attack, too.
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The Phakan Arocavet Clinic confirmed to People the incident took place on October 15, with Doctor Phanomsay Phakan adding that it was “very brief and rushed.” He told The Times Daniel and Cooper’s “bodies were covered in red spots” after they were taken to the clinic. Awful. The doctor continued:
“It was very, very painful. 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.”
In fact, Phakan noted fatalities from a sting in Laos are rare. He said:
“I have never seen a death and I have been working more than 20 years.”
OMG. A US Department of State spokesperson also confirmed the deaths of the two citizens to People, adding:
“Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment.”
What a horrible situation…
Daniel, who was the director of QSI International School in Haiphong in northern Vietnam, received a tribute from the school on Facebook on October 28. They wrote:
“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. Dan dedicated 18 years to QSI, serving in five different schools and touching countless lives with his warmth, leadership, and unwavering commitment to education. 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. #RememberingDanOwen #QualitySchoolsInternational.”
A spokesperson for Green Jungle Park also extended their condolences to Daniel and Cooper’s family. They said to The Times:
“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. This event is unprecedented in our experience and, to our understanding, in Luang Prabang as well. It was an unforeseeable and extraordinary natural occurrence.”
Our hearts go out to Daniel and Cooper’s family following this tragedy. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments.
[Image via Daniel Owen/Facebook]
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