Idaho Falls Native and son die in ‘Murder Hornet’ attack while zip-lining in Southeast Asia
Ariel Jensen
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — An Idaho Falls native and his teenage son died last month after being attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets—often dubbed ‘murder hornets’—while zip-lining in Laos, in Southeast Asia.
Daniel Owen, 47, and his 15-year-old son, Cooper, died following the incident on October 15th, as reported by USA Today. The father and son were stung by hundreds of the aggressive insects during their vacation before being rushed to the Phakan Arocavet Clinic for emergency care.
Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor at the clinic, described the scene to the U.K. newspaper The Times: “Their whole bodies were covered in red spots. 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.”
Daniel Owen worked as the Director of QSI International School of Haiphong in Northern Vietnam. His career spanned nearly two decades in international education, across multiple schools.
QSI International School of Haiphong shared their grief on social media: “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.”
Local News 8 is attempting to reach out to Owen’s extended family in the area and will update this story accordingly.