NEED TO KNOW
- A doctor who cared for the American father and son killed in a deadly wasp attack in Laos last month is now speaking out
- The physician, Jorvue Yianouchongteng, said 15-year-old Cooper Owen died 30 minutes after arriving at the hospital, while his dad, Daniel, died three hours later
- Their cause of death has yet to be released but they were in severe anaphylactic shock
An emergency room doctor who cared for an American father and son following their fatal attack by wasps in Laos last month is giving some insight into their final moments.
Jorvue Yianouchongteng spoke with the Associated Press, in a story published on Thursday, Nov. 6, about Daniel Owen and his 15-year-old son, Cooper, who died last month when they were stung more than 100 times while zip lining at a park.
“The son was unconscious and passed away after half an hour, while the father was conscious and passed away about three hours later,” said Yianouchongteng, who works at Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital.
“We tried our best to save them,” he told the AP, “but we couldn’t.”
On Oct. 15, the Owens were at the Green Jungle Park near the city of Luang Prabang, PEOPLE previously reported.
The pair reached the end of the zip line and were coming down the tree when they were attacked by the wasps, according to the AP.
Daniel and Owen were rushed to a local clinic before they were transported to the hospital, where they arrived in critical condition, the AP reported.
They had each been stung dozens of times and were in severe anaphylactic shock, Yianouchongteng said.
Their exact cause of death has not yet been released.
The clinic where the duo was first taken, Phakan Arocavet Clinic, previously confirmed the incident in an email to PEOPLE. But Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor there, added that it was “very brief and rushed” and said that he didn’t have any further information to provide.
A U.S. Department of State spokesperson separately confirmed the deaths of two American citizens in Luang Prabang but said that “out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment.”
The dad and his 15-year-old were apparently stung by hundreds of Asian giant hornets, a source close to U.S. diplomats in Laos reportedly told the Times, a U.K. outlet.
However the AP later reported that it was unclear what species of wasp, including hornets, killed the pair.
Following their deaths, people across multiple countries shared their grief. Daniel was the director of QSI International School in Haiphong, Vietnam. He worked at five different schools and had served with the organization for 18 years, according to a tribute from QSI.
The school leader touched “countless lives with his warmth, leadership, and unwavering commitment to education. He was deeply loved across our community and will be profoundly missed,” QSI said.
Green Jungle Park, an adventure park in Pak Long, told PEOPLE via email that it “extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Daniel and Cooper Owen.”
“Their passing has deeply affected everyone in our community. From the moment the incident occurred, our owners and staff cooperated fully with local authorities, the U.S. Embassy, and the bereaved family to provide all possible support,” the park said.
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Their statement continued, in part, “The official review has now concluded, and although no fault was attributed to the park, we remain focused on continually evaluating and strengthening our visitor care and operating procedures wherever possible.”
The park said that it had not had “significant injury among its guests or team members” since it opened nearly a decade ago.
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