A cyclist who was riding along the Sembawang Park Connector on the morning of Jul. 4, 2022 was attacked by a swarm of hornets.

He subsequently passed away three days later.

State Coroner Adam Nakhoda shared his findings on Ronnie Ang's death on Sep. 13, 2024, ruling the incident a tragic misadventure, according to The Straits Times.

Ang, 60, was cycling near the Sembawang God of Wealth Temple on Admiralty Street at around 11:40am when he came into contact with the swarm of hornets.

Despite being stung multiple times, he managed to cycle past the hornets and stopped at a nearby block to call his wife.

He mentioned feeling giddy and that his throat was sore after the attack.

His wife called for an ambulance and went to look for him.

Upon finding him at 12:15pm, Ang's wife gave him a drink as he mentioned that he was thirsty and his throat hurt.

Multiple sting marks were evident on his body.

Paramedics arrived shortly after at 12:20pm, and Ang was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH).

While Ang showed no signs of an allergic reaction, he was treated with medicines, such as antihistamines, according to CNA.

Blood tests revealed that he had inflammatory cardiac, liver and kidney markers — reflective of respiratory failure — and the medical team started treatment to support his liver and kidney.

Despite measures taken, there were signs of severe kidney injury due to toxins from the hornet stings that were affecting his vital organs.

Ang's condition deteriorated and he was warded in the intensive care unit.

There, Ang became drowsy and had to be sedated, intubated and connected to a mechanical ventilator.

Ang, who had a pre-existing heart condition and a stent that was inserted into an artery in 2014, passed away at round 7am on Jul. 7, 2022.

His final cause of death was certified as multi-organ failure following an insect attack, with underlying ischaemic heart disease.

Pre-existing heart disease "likely contributed to his death"

The state coroner stated that Ang's underlying heart disease likely contributed to his death, and that the medical care given was "reasonable".

Currently, there are no antidotes for general insect venom, noted the coroner.

However, the coroner shared that KTPH had admitted in a letter to Ang's daughter that communication with the family "could have been better".

The coroner advised that members of the public cautioned against getting close to hornet nests, and to report sightings of nests to the National Parks Board (NParks).

He also extended his condolences to Ang's family, who were present and visibly emotional during the hearing.

Hornets thought to have been disturbed by "predator", usually not aggressive

The hornet nest was estimated to have been about 12m above ground, and likely around for months prior to the incident.

The particular species of hornets — the lesser banded hornet — are usually not known to be aggressive.

However, it is plausible that their nest had been disturbed by a predator, causing a chunk of it to fall, leading the hornets to become defensive in nature.

NParks officers had previously conducted two inspections along the park connector on Jun. 7 and 9 2022, but did not record any hornet activity.

The nest was destroyed after the incident.

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