Wasp swarm kills shooter on grouse moor

By Paul Stokes

(Filed: 26/08/2003)

The agent of a country estate collapsed and died after he was attacked by a swarm of wasps while grouse shooting on isolated moors.

Guy Canby, 53, and his party were about to finish for the day when he stood on a wasps' nest and received stings to his leg, falling ill within seconds.

His wife Diana, who was there as a non-shooting guest, managed to lead him to their 4x4 vehicle which was parked nearby.

As he struggled to breathe, she drove one-and-a-half miles to the Strines Inn, at Bradfield, near Sheffield, where two doctors had called in for a meal.

They tried to revive Mr Canby, a 6ft 5in tall asthmatic, with heart massage and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while an ambulance was called. He was dead on arrival at hospital.

He became agent to the 17,000-acre Fitzwilliam Estate, at Wentworth, near Rotherham, in 1986 and was responsible for its day-to-day running on behalf of Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland, its owner.

He was a keen golfer and squash player and regularly used the tennis court at his family home at Cortworth House, Wentworth,

Mrs Canby, 49, said yesterday: "I don't shoot but I had gone with my husband as a guest of the shooting party. I was standing at his side when I saw the wasps round his leg and he suddenly collapsed. He reached for his inhaler but I knew straight away what had happened.

"He was gasping for air and couldn't breathe. By chance there were two doctors at the pub and they were absolutely marvellous. They did everything they could but my husband was dead when he reached hospital."

The party had been shooting on the edge of the Peak District from about 9.15am on Saturday and was about to stop in the late afternoon when Mr Canby was stung.

Mrs Canby added: "One of my sons is allergic to wasps but we had no idea my husband was. We will all have tests to see if others in the family are allergic to wasp stings."

Jeremy Standish, landlord of the Strines Inn, said: "The shooters were just coming off the moors when Mr Canby was stung. It seems that he suffered an allergic reaction and collapsed."

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003.

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