Rugby owner cheated death after going blind when he stepped on killer wasps' nest

Publish date: 2024-08-07

Derek Beaumont has revealed how he cheated death by minutes after stepping into a nest of killer wasps.

The Leigh Centurions owner admits he’s still traumatised by how his life hung in the balance after the terrifying accident.

Beaumont, who was on his own in a South African game reserve on January 5, collapsed as his body went into shock after he was stung by swarms of angry wasps.

After several attempts to raise help by phone failed, Beaumont was convinced he was going to die.

He said: “My head had swollen up like a football, I went blind, I was delirious and had chest pains and knew I was basically dying.”

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In an incredible stroke of luck, his wife Laura phoned him and immediately raised help after hearing him gasping for breath.

But even then, with many anaphylactic shock victims dying within 30 minutes, there was no guarantee he’d survive because they had to find him first.

Beaumont said: “I am so lucky they got to me. I’d lost consciousness but could hear voices in the distance telling me to stay awake.”

The rescue team forced antihistamine tablets down his swollen throat, which bought him a little bit of time, before medical help, in the shape of David Venter, arrived.

Miraculously, the game reserve paramedic whose patch covers hundreds of miles, was nearby and got to Beaumont within 17 minutes.

That still meant a race against time to stabilise him and get him out of immediate danger before he was taken to hospital.

Beaumont said: “The paramedic said it’s the worst version he’s ever seen and he thought there was no way I could live.

“My statistic were: blood pressure 63/30, blood oxygen 81 and 26 breaths per minute.

“He immediately shot me with steroids and adrenaline and got me on oxygen. That stabilised me but I had another relapse so they had to whack me with more adrenaline.

“He was a minute away from having to ventilate me by making a hole in my throat.”

Beaumont, who had permission to go out walking in a relatively safe area of the reserve, said: “The paramedic saved my life.

“It has massively changed me but I really struggled with it at first - it’s so disturbing mentally. I am very lucky to be alive.

“I do extreme cycling and was as fit as a fiddle but then something like that almost killed me. Doctors think the cycling helped my body keep functioning.”

Beaumont - who now has to carry an epi pen with him and is campaigning for large venues to stock them as standard, similar to defibrillators - is one of the game’s biggest characters and can still see a funny side to the drama.

He said: “I’m perceived as this big angry person but an inch long wasp nearly did for me. It wasn’t my time - I have to suffer longer in rugby league!”