By Harry Sinclair •
Updated: 26 Aug 2024 • 13:59 • 2 minutes read
A man miraculously survived after being stung 240 times by a swarm of wasps while feeding his chickens.
A man from Wales was stung 240 times by a swarm of wasps
The 57-year-old returned from a bike ride on Sunday and went to feed his chickens when he was “swarmed at” by wasps, he told Sky News.
Andrew Powell, a festival organiser who lives near Brecon, Powys, said his local hospital saved his life after he was stung 240 times by a swarm of wasps, confessing he was in “agony” after the attack.
Andrew Powell was stung 240 times while feeding chickens after a bike ride
Powell told the Daily Express “It was like a scene from a movie,” explaining he was “standing at the garden gate when I saw them heading towards me. I said ‘Oh my God’ and ran.”
“By the time I got to my back gate, which is probably four seconds, I was covered,” he said, adding that he “ran up the steps into my bungalow, into the bathroom, put the shower on and the bathroom was full wasps.”
Gina, Mr Powell’s wife, came to the rescue “throwing buckets of water on them, trying to get them off”, telling her husband his “back was just a carpet of wasps.”
Mr Powell stated the MIU saved his life I wouldn t be here
Andrew Powell said his local minor injuries unit 100 per cent saved his life, along with his friend who answered his call to take him there; If there s no MIU (minor injuries unit), I wouldn t be here .
Powell believes the wasps may have been agitated by a farmer combining fields in the area, which would explain the extreme nature of the attack causing him to go in and out of consciousness .
The wasp victim was first taken to the Brecon War Memorial Hospital and later transferred to the Prince Charles Hospital, where doctors, who initially believed he had 160 stings, continued to discover even more all over his body.
Andrew told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Every day I m finding more and more stings. There are 50 on one side of my buttock that I didn t realise were there because I was so focused on my chest and back, stating he has got 20 on the back of my head, 20 on my neck and my wife counted more than 80 on each arm.
While Andrew Powell is now out of the hospital and recovering safely at home, he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that he hasn t gone outside since his return from the hospital due to a pest control technician informing him there are still thousands of wasps around the area.
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our
Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Originally from the UK, Harry Sinclair is a journalist and freelance writer based in Almeria covering local stories and international news, with a keen interest in arts and culture. If you have a news story please feel free to get in touch at [email protected].
Wasps need various things at different times of the year to survive. They are highly attracted to sweat on our bodies which has a lot of salt in it, especially towards end of Summer and Fall. This poor lad had just come back from a bike ride. Towards the end of Summer and beginning of Fall they also need protein. I ve seen them feeding off the dead carcass of animals or birds. I ve also seen them feeding on dog feces. In Spring they like flowers and water. If you are drenched in sweat they are going to be attracted to you. Best thing to do is leave the area as quietly as possible. If they feel threatened they will attack. If one feels threatened it calls to all the others to attack. It takes nerves of steel to gently swish them away or allow them to fly around your head or face but it s better than having a swarm attack you. The guy is lucky to be alive.
This is fascinating, and great advice if we end up in the same predicament, although I can t promise I ll remember it when a swarm attacks. Thank you!
Known as the PEOPLE’S PAPER, Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain. And it’s FREE!
Covering the Almeria, Axarquia, Costa Blanca North, Costa Blanca South, Costa del Sol , Costa Calida, Mallorca and beyond, EWN supports and inspires the individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities we serve, by delivering news with a social conscience. Whether it’s local news in Spain, UK news or international stories, we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home.
With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month, EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain. The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close.
Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP), Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall). All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers. All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE.
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Close
