New Hampshire man dies after yellow jacket sting, wife says

A New Hampshire man recently died after being stung by a yellow jacket wasp. (iStock)

A 34-year-old New Hampshire man with “a heart of gold” recently died after he was stung by a yellow jacket wasp, his wife said.

Brian Baker Jr., of Winchester, was performing electrical work outside on July 14 when a yellow jacket stung him twice. He suffered an allergic reaction to the sting, his wife, Mandi Baker, told WMUR9, adding that she quickly administered an EpiPen to her husband and called 911.

"I had him cooling with wet towels, and I believe he started to stop breathing before the ambulance was even there," Mandi Baker told WMUR9.

Baker Jr.’s father, Brian Baker Sr., told the news station that medical officials performed CPR on his son for 45 minutes.

“[They] really did everything to keep Brian with us, to give him a chance,” he said.

The man, who was informed two years ago that he was allergic to yellow jacket stings, was taken to a medical center in Manchester but died shortly after.

Those who are allergic to yellow jacket stings can quickly suffer from anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal allergic reaction, if stung. Anaphylaxis can quickly lead to death if not treated properly. It is usually caused by allergies to food, insect stings, medications and latex, among other causes, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Symptoms include difficulty breathing, hives or swelling, tightness of the throat, nausea and vomiting.

"He would do anything for anyone,” his wife told the news station of her husband.

“Our hearts feel so empty. We had to say goodbye to Brian last night. He was too sick to keep up the fight,” Marci Gallagher, Baker Jr.’s, sister-in-law, wrote on a GoFundMe page.