Joe's Story - Kawau Island

What started as a routine job quickly turned into a frightening ordeal for former All Black, Joe Karam, while working on his property on Kawau Island.

“I was chain sawing the stump of a dead tree,” he recalls. “Unbeknown to me, it was rotten in the middle. As the chainsaw went through it, it went bang straight into a wasp’s nest.”

Within seconds, hundreds of wasps swarmed all over him. “They were all over my head, my arms everywhere. It was terrifying.” Joe said. So he ran.

The terrain was steep and uneven, with no clear path, but adrenaline kept him moving as the swarm chased him as he ran downhill towards the sea.

“I was just lucky I didn’t trip.” He says, “There were literally hundreds of them.”

Reaching the water’s edge, Joe tore off his shirt and jumped into the sea in an attempt to escape the attack. But the damage had already been done.

“I’d say I had 30 to 50 stings, face, neck, arms, everywhere exposed.”

Within minutes, his condition worsened. With no immediate medical help on the island, a neighbour and FENZ representative made a call to 111.

“My tongue started to swell up, that’s when it gets scary.”

Another neighbour rushed over with an EpiPen, something Joe didn’t have himself.

“When that went in, within about 20 seconds, the breathing issues and swelling went away. It was incredible.”

Despite the rapid improvement, it was clear Joe needed further care. A boat transported him across to School House Bay, where the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew were already waiting.

“They were there ready to go. We hopped on, and I had a lovely flight to Auckland Hospital.”

Joe was taken to hospital for observation and discharged just a few hours later, making a full recovery. Reflecting on the experience, he’s made a few changes.

“I’ve bought myself a beekeeper suit,” he says. “Next time I’m out chain sawing, I’ll be wearing that.”

Living in a remote island location, Joe understands how quickly situations can escalate and how vital access to emergency aeromedical care is.

“It’s an amazing service. You just don’t have easy access to help out here, so having the rescue helicopter there … it makes all the difference.”

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