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An American private school director and his teenage son have been stung to death by giant hornets while ziplining on vacation in Laos, according to reports. Daniel Owen, 47, and his son Cooper, 15, died on October 15 after being swarmed by what appear to be Asian giant hornets during a ziplining trip at an eco-adventure resort, The Times reports. The hornets attacked the tourists and their guide as they struggled to descend from a tree, a source close to US diplomats in the country told the newspaper. The father and son were reportedly conscious when they arrived at hospital and showed no symptoms of anaphylactic shock, but tragically died a few hours later. '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,' said Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor at the Phakan Arocavet Clinic where the father and son were rushed. 'I thought already that it's a very dangerous situation because I had never seen it as bad as that,' he added. The pair had been enjoying a day out in the forest at an eco-resort near the city of Luang Prabang. Originally from Idaho, Owen had lived abroad for nearly two decades and had been living with his son and wife Jessica in Vietnam before his death. He worked as the director of the Haiphong branch of Quality Schools International, a private school chain that serves the children of diplomats around the world. In a statement on social media, QSI said: '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.' The father and son enjoyed climbing and skiing together, Owen's social media shows, and had been using their vacation to explore the jungle. Ziplining circuits like the one the pair were on involve using a harness and moving between platforms high up in tree canopies. Measuring up to two inches long, the Asian Hornet is capable of a painful sting that can be fatal for people with certain allergies. They are responsible for dozens of deaths every year and have been referred to by some researchers as 'murder hornets' due to their deadly capabilities. The creature is distinguishable by its bright yellow leg tips, thin yellow stripes on its upper abdomen, and vibrant orange face. They have spread around the world in recent years, with sightings in the US and UK. There were fears that the insects could establish themselves in Washington State after multiple sightings there, but officials declared last year that the population had been eradicated through the use of traps. Last month, authorities in Northern Ireland confirmed that multiple Asian Hornets had been found for the first time.
