In an instant, dinner on the boat in the Stockholm archipelago turned into a nightmare.
When David Kolvik, 40, was stung by a wasp in the mouth, around 30 harbor guests were drawn into the rescue effort that saved his life.
– If I hadn’t received the adrenaline injections, I don’t know what happened, he says.
The summer of 2023 is predicted to be a real wasp summer. That’s what Anticimex believes, which has so far had five thousand more cleanups compared to the same period last year.
Someone who has noticed the wasp-dense summer is David Kolvik. After Tuesday’s dinner, he wanted to treat himself to a beer on his boat. But it never got to be so enjoyable.
– I was stupid enough not to put a lid on the beer can, says David Kolvik.
After taking the first sip, he notices something in the jar. He spits out the beer and sees a wasp leave his mouth. Then the situation immediately becomes serious.
– Then I thought “Damn, I’m allergic”. I called my wife who is calling 112. Then I sat on the bridge at the back of the boat to keep calm and not stress myself out.
“The children thought it was a lot of work”
But David quickly gets worse. The cortisone tablets carried are not strong enough.
– When the neighbors heard that I was allergic, they started calling for someone with an adrenaline pen. They started asking around among the neighbors and then two nurses came. One had two pens and also other cortisone tablets that she gave me.
Together with one of the nurses, he is transported to the mainland where the ambulance takes him to Södersjukhuset in Stockholm. The adrenaline injection and the new cortisone tablets reduce the swelling and the situation stabilises.
In total, David receives three adrenaline injections. He is kept in the hospital overnight while the rest of the family, his wife and three children, remain out in the archipelago.
– It was traumatic for them. The children thought it was really hard to see dad lying there shaking and feeling really bad. So they’ve had a rough night and have been lying in the same bed and hugging each other to try to sleep, says David.
The doctor: “It was life and death”
After one night he is discharged and it is only then that he understands the seriousness of what happened.
– I asked what this really meant and the doctor said it was life and death. It is a throat that must not swell again.
And once they reach the children, the emotions are overwhelming.
– When I got back to the boat, they ran and hugged me as soon as they saw me. It was emotional.
Now David wants to warn others.
– Do not underestimate wasp stings. If you get a sting in the mouth, you should always seek medical attention, I understood in retrospect. So be careful with the wasps.