NC man mowing lawn collapses, dies after being stung or bitten, police say
A North Carolina man mowing a lawn collapsed and died after an insect stung or bit him on his head, authorities said.
Seth Andrew Collins, a 36-year-old from Gastonia, made it to the front porch of the Rowan County home whose lawn he was mowing Sunday and told the owner he’d been bitten or stung, according to a sheriff’s incident report obtained by The Charlotte Observer on Tuesday.
Collins “became unsteady,” and the homeowner tried to help hold him up, but Collins “fell to the ground on his stomach,” according to the report.
The homeowner began CPR on Collins while still on the phone and let emergency responders take over when they arrived, sheriff’s Officer R.A. Hadley said in the report.
Rowan County EMS pronounced Collins dead at about 6:40 p.m., Hadley said.
Just 25 minutes before Collins was stung or bitten, the homeowner went outside to give Collins a bottle of water, then returned inside, according to the report. Every other week, Collins cut the lawn of the home in the 2800 block of Lipe Road in China Grove, according to the report.
The body was sent for an autopsy, but no further information was available, sheriff’s Maj. John Sifford told the Observer.
Hadley walked to where Collins was stung or bitten but didn’t find any insects, according to the report.
Anyone with a serious reaction to a bite or sting should seek immediate medical attention by calling 911 or driving to a nearby emergency room, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.
“Most bug bites and stings can be safely treated at home with topical medication, such as hydrocortisone cream or ointment, or an oral antihistamine to reduce the itch,” according to the website of the association.
“However, sometimes a bug bite or sting could turn into something serious – particularly if you have been bitten or stung by many insects at the same time.”
