A FOOD festival organiser is “happy to be alive” after being stung 160 times by wasps at his home last weekend.
Andrew Powell said that without the help of two nurses at Brecon War Memorial Hospital he wouldn't be here.
On the evening of Sunday, August 18 while feeding his chickens at his Brecon home, Andrew was suddenly surrounded by a cloud of wasps attacking him in his garden.
After a couple of seconds in complete shock, he ran into his house and straight to the bathroom, before turning the shower on and jumping in.
The wasps had followed Andrew all through his house and continued to sting him.
“I could not believe it,” he said. “I remember the bottom of the bath was just black with wasps. They had just followed me the whole way through the house into the bathroom.
“As I was surrounded by all these wasps, I was trying to phone someone. I’d spoken to my friend Richard earlier in the day, so his number was the first to come up and I barely had enough energy to press the button from all the stinging.
“My wife, Gina, was trying to get them all off me as this was happening.
“Richard came along in about three minutes, dragged me into the car and whilst we were going along, I was dipping in and out of consciousness.”
Upon arrival to the Minor Injury Unit in Brecon, Andrew was given morphine and adrenaline.
“Another five minutes and I would have been gone they said. That’s all down to those two Brecon women and Richard. Without those two nurses I wouldn’t be here. That’s how precarious life is,” he added.
“If I had to wait for an ambulance I think I would be gone.”
Andrew was later transferred to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil for further treatment where the doctor was shocked at the number of stings on Andrew’s body.
He believes in total there are around 160 stings on his body. He later found out that the wasps had appeared from a farmer combining and baling in the field near his house, who had accidentally bothered them.
Andrew said: “Whilst bailing the straw he must have gone over a wasp’s nest, but it’s not his fault at all. There was no way of him knowing, but it must have upset the wasps, and they all came for me.”
He is now back at home with medication but told the Beacon’s sister paper, the Brecon & Radnor Express, that he has been unable to sleep since due to the pain.
He believes this incident highlights the importance of the Minor Injury Unit at Brecon War Memorial Hospital, which is set to temporarily close overnight from September.
Andrew said: “I’m just happy I’m alive today and that’s thanks to the two women in Brecon and Richard for getting me there - otherwise I wouldn’t be here.
“But we need to ask the question, how much does it cost to keep the unit open in the evening and will the people of Brecon help pay for it to be open at night? It’s not rocket science.
“But if you have two nurses there overnight who love looking after people then we need to find out how much it costs for those extra 12 hours, because at the end of the day, how much is a human life worth?
“If I was a millionaire, I’d pay to keep it open myself. It’s little things like what happened to me that brings it home, that could happen to anyone’s loved ones.
“Those Brecon nurses were amazing. I can’t remember their names, but I will find out and buy them some chocolates at least.
“I’m still in shock really that I could have died but on the other hand I’m now looking forward to the football next week.”
What to do if you're attacked by wasps
Run away If you're attacked by a swarm, run away as fast as you can to a building or vehicle for shelter. If you're wearing multiple layers, pull your top over your head to protect your face. Don't jump into water, as wasps will wait for you to come up for air. Stay calm If a wasp lands on you, try to relax. Swatting at it will make it sting you in defense. If you stay calm, it might leave you alone once it realizes you're not a threat. Treat a sting If you're stung, you can try these remedies: Wash the area: Use warm soap and water to clean the sting site and remove any bacteria or venom. Apply ice: Put an ice pack, ice cube, or bag of frozen peas on the sting for about 20 minutes to reduce swelling and pain. The cold temperature slows down blood flow to the sting. Take painkillers: If the pain is severe, you can take over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen. Apply an antihistamine: Itchiness is a common symptom of a wasp sting, so you can apply an antihistamine or calamine cream to the affected area to relieve it.
When to See a Doctor
Wasp stings can be painful, but, when treated at home, the pain usually lasts no more than a day. If you are experiencing persistent pain and continuous swelling over the course of a couple of days, you may have an infection.
If you have an infection or are experiencing an allergic reaction to wasp stings, they can cause more harm. If you start experiencing the symptoms below, you may have a life-threatening allergic reaction:
Call 999 immediately if you were stung in the mouth, nose, or throat area, or if any serious symptoms occur. Wasp stings in those areas could cause throat swelling and cause difficulty breathing.