A father from Idaho and his son, who now lived in Vietnam, died while on vacation. Daniel Owen and his son Cooper were vacationing in Laos when they were unexpectedly stung by hundreds of Asian hornets. Although there hasn’t been an official cause of death released, even if they weren’t allergic, that’s a lot of stings. Doctors admitted to being shocked by the number of stings the pair endured, and no one could offer any sort of explanation about what could have possibly caused the swarm.
Owen and his 15-year-old son died on October 15, 2025, while staying at an eco-adventure resort near the city of Luang Prabang, the UK Times reported. As they went down a zipline, the hornets swarmed them and their guide while they attempted to get down a tree.
Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor at the Phakan Arocavet Clinic where the father and son were first taken, expressed shock at what he saw.
“Their whole bodies were covered in red spots. It was very, very painful. A lot of stings, more than 100, over the whole body,” he said, per the outlet. “I thought already that it’s a very dangerous situation because I had never seen it as bad as that.”
Daniel and Cooper Owen were conscious when they were brought to the clinic, the Times reported. They also weren’t showing signs of anaphylactic shock, which occurs when people have an allergic reaction to hornet, wasp, or bee stings.
After less than an hour at the clinic, they were taken to Luang Prabang provincial hospital. They died a few hours later.
Phakan explained that minor stings are common in Laos, but he’s never seen anything so extreme. “I have never seen a death and I have been working more than 20 years.”
An exact cause of death for the pair has not been released. According to the Times, Daniel Owen may have recently celebrated his 47th birthday. He was the director of QSI International School in Haiphong, Vietnam. The school released a statement on Facebook about his death.
“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,” the statement reads. “Our sincere condolences go out to the Owen family and all who knew and loved them.”
Green Jungle Park also released a statement about the deaths, which was obtained by People. The park “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 statement shares.
“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,” it continues. “This event is unprecedented in our experience and, to our understanding, in Luang Prabang as well. It was an unforeseeable and extraordinary natural occurrence. We remain committed to the highest standards of professionalism and responsibility toward everyone who visits us.”
