66yo Single Father Dies After Being Stung by Hornets While Picking Durians & Rambutans In The Forest

The insect kingdom is one that is very large and wide-spread. Everywhere we go, you can be sure an insect is somewhere there with us. Maybe an ant or the occasional butterfly, or the insidiously hardy cockroach. Of course, there are many insects who are normally peaceful that will bring harm to us should we disturb them – and that’s exactly what happened to this 66-year-old retiree.

According to Straits Times, Mr Quek, a single father who raised 2 sons after losing his wife in a freak accident in 2007 (she was killed by a falling tree), passed away last Friday (5th July) after being stung by hornets.

Source: environment-arlington

His son said that he was picking rambutans and durians alone at about 3pm on 9th July in a forest near Bukit Timah when he accidentally intruded on the hornets, and was attacked. He managed to run into an MRT station to ask for help, where a passer-by called an ambulance for him. He eventually passed away the next morning in the ICU as the toxins from the hornets caused his vital organs to fail.

The Straits Times added that experts have said that if a person is being chased by bees, it would be best not to swat at them (as bees are attracted to movement) but rather to cover their face and run as fast as possible against the wind. (We’re assuming they shared this because bees and hornets attack in swarms and are teensy flying insects with stingers. But you guessed that.)

We hope that Mr Quek rests in peace with his wife in heaven. If your hobby is to go jungle trekking or anything of that sort, please be well-equipped and properly dressed to avoid any misfortunes. 

Also read: BEWARE: Cockroaches Are Now Almost Impossible to Kill Because They’re Evolving So Fast