Ex-soldier died after being stung by a wasp at garrison
A FORMER soldier died after being stung by a wasp during a routine call-out in his new job as a pest controller, an inquest heard.
Married Lee Darker, 48, had an anaphylactic shock and was pronounced dead after being found slumped in the passenger seat of his van on September 17 last year.
The sting at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire triggered an allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis, an inquest in Harrogate heard.
His death came two weeks after he was stung eight times by a wasp during a separate call-out which was treated with cream, although he didn’t suffer from any symptoms.
The inquest heard Mr Darker, who worked as a pest control technician, did not have any known allergies.
Mr Darker, originally from Mansfield, had started working at Mitie Pest Control in September 2017. He had previously been
in the British Army as a soldier in the Royal Lancers for 22 years, before leaving in 2010.
The former soldier was called out to Royal Army Medical Corp sergeant Colin Lowe’s address at Catterick Garrison following reports of a wasps’ nest in his garage.
Mr Darker, who lived in Darlington, County Durham, and was stepfather to three children, successfully removed the nest but complained he had been stung twice.
It is not known whether he was wearing standard protective issue clothing but was “meticulous” when following rules, the inquest was told on Wednesday.
Toxicology testing found a markedly elevated mast cell tryptase level – an increase in a released enzyme – in the blood in keeping with anaphylactic shock.
In a statement read out at the hearing, his wife of 20 years, Barbara Darker, said: “He was a fit and healthy person and led an active lifestyle.
“He was stung two weeks prior to his death and I got him some cream. I was not aware of any allergies.”
Senior coroner for the western area of North Yorkshire, Robert Turnbull recorded a conclusion of misadventure.
He said: “It’s a tragic outcome.”