Antoinette Webb, a mother of a family from Maine, almost lost her life after taking a six-pointed hornet in her hands during a tourist visit in the United States. She suffered a severe allergic reaction but was saved thanks to the quick intervention of the staff present on site.
This incident occurred when Antoinette Webb handled an insect she described as “a beautiful green scarab beetle.” “I took it in my hand, saying ‘Wow, you are so beautiful.’ A few seconds later, I felt a sting running through my whole body,” she recalled. Quickly, her condition deteriorated: difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, and lips turning blue.
“Her airways were completely obstructed”
Dean Martin, Director of the Friends of Fort Knox association and a former military physician, intervened immediately. He held her hand while calling for help as her airways were completely obstructed.
With other employees present, they promptly administered Benadryl, an antihistamine, while waiting for the arrival of emergency services. She had suffered a relatively rare allergic reaction caused by this beetle, also known as a “tiger beetle.” This insect is found in the central states of the United States and in the east of Canada.
Transported to the hospital, Antoinette Webb received four injections of epinephrine to stop the allergic reaction. The next day, still very moved, she returned to the site with her 9-year-old twins to thank those who saved her life. “Without them, my children would not have their mother today,” she tearfully said.
The American, a former military woman, stated that she will never forget the help provided by the teams present that day.
