Wasp strike

Day 239, Tuesday 17 April 2018

I was on a ride with Auckland Ulysses members today when one rider was stung by a wasp. He was feeling hot as we slowed down in a small town, so he raised his visor to get a cool breeze on his face. Suddenly, he felt a blow he described as being “hit by a rock”. A wasp was embedded in his forehead, and had to be removed by the gloved hand of another rider. The stung rider thought he would be ok after a few minutes to recover. One of the other riders volunteered to stay with him and make sure he got home safely, so the rest of us continued.

The struck rider’s condition deteriorated, so his companion called an ambulance, who took him to the local hospital where he was admitted to the emergency ward. When the rest of us learned of this, we cancelled the rest of the ride, and several of us continued to the hospital to visit him.

While we were there, he was downgraded to the short-term ward, but was told not to try to ride again today. He will be discharged this evening, will stay in a motel, and pick up his bike in the morning to ride home.

We’re always aware of the possibility of an accident, but sometimes the most innocuous action – raising a visor on a hot day – can result in unpredicted consequences.

Distance travelled: 332 km. Total distance so far: 31,391 km