Rowing used to rescue wasp sting victim

A man who had had a severe allergic reaction to a wasp after being stung whilst out for a walk around a lake was rescued by rowing boat.

The 51-year-old was walking around the Hierzmannstausee reservoir in Voitsberg, Styria with his wife and dog when he was stung by a wasp after he bent over to pick up a stick to throw to his dog and grasped into a wasp nest.

He was stung three times and quickly suffered an allergic reaction.

Rescuers were called immediately. When they got to him he was suffering breathing problems.

Emergency doctor Kerstin Jaklitsch said: “His condition was relatively stable, but his breathing was very fast.

“It would not have been possible for him to walk to where the ambulance was parked, the ambulance could not get any closer. A helicopter rescue was also not possible due to the high trees and bad light, therefore we used a rowing boat.

The man was lifted onto the boat on the reservoir and was rowed to the other side where he could be put into the waiting ambulance.

He was taken to hospital in Voitsberg.