Two women who were climbing in the Canadian backcountry north of Vancouver, British Columbia, were rescued by helicopter on Tuesday after one of them was stung by wasps more than 100 times, according to rescuers.
Lions Bay Search and Rescue, the agency that responded to a distress call, said the pair had finished climbing what is known as the Redoubt Wall near Loggers Creek north of Lions Bay, British Columbia. They were hiking down a trail when one stepped on a wasp nest, the agency said.
The authorities did not release the names of the women, but said that the hiker who was badly stung is 33 years old. “She was suffering a severe allergic reaction and had taken antihistamines,” said Carolyn Kelly-Smith, a member of the rescue team who treated her.
The agency called North Shore Rescue for a helicopter rescue, and the woman needed no further medical treatment.
In some cases, multiple wasp stings can lead to a severe allergic reaction. No EpiPen was needed in this case, but Ms. Kelly-Smith said it was important for backcountry hikers to have one available. Experts also advise hikers in wasp-prone areas to wear pants and long-sleeve shirts, or bug nets.
“Even if you haven’t been stung by a wasp before, multiple stings increase the risk of the systemic reaction,” Ms. Kelly-Smith said. “You can develop a severe reaction at any time.”
This can include intense swelling, hives or feeling cold owing to shock.
The Redoubt Wall, east of Howe Sound on the British Columbia coastline, is a site for rock climbing that is “fully vertical,” according to Maria Masiar, the search manager of Lions Bay Search and Rescue.
The rescue on Tuesday was the second time this year that hikers had to be rescued by helicopter after being swarmed by wasps in the area, according to Lions Bay and North Shore Rescue, a sister agency. On July 30, a group of hikers was aiming to reach Elsay Lake, north of Vancouver, when one member of the party stepped on a wasp nest and was stung more than 20 times, The Vancouver Sun reported. The hikers used antihistamines to stabilize him and called for help.
A rescue team arrived by helicopter and roped down to treat the ailing hiker before hoisting the entire party to safety, The Sun reported.
“It’s been so bad this year that we’ve started a tracker for wasp activity in the corridor,” Ms. Masiar said.
She pinned the increased wasp activity on a mild winter and an early spring, saying she began hearing complaints as early as April.
Wasp season om the area peaks in August and September, one official said.
The person who disturbs the nest is the one most at risk of an attack. (Dogs are especially vulnerable as they can unknowingly step on nests buried underground or lodged in a tree or log.) Unlike bees, wasps do not lose their stingers and can continue to sting as long as they feel threatened.
The only way to escape a swarm attack is to flee the area, although sometimes wasps can follow in pursuit.
