Mequon man dead after insect sting
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Nick Montes reports. Video by tmj4.com
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MEQUON - A man from Ozaukee County has died after getting stung by an insect as he sat in his backyard.
Vladimir Novak's family says they're trying to make sense of it all.
They told TODAY'S TMJ4's Nick Montes that he was enjoying family time when things turned for the worse.
The type of insect that stung Novak, believed to be a bee or a wasp, usually doesn't lead to an untimely death.
"He loved life. He loved his kids. He loved his family," said Christine Novak, his wife.
When asked what was the toughest part of this, Christine said, "knowing he's not coming home."
Novak, 46, loved the outdoors.
While sitting in his backyard on Labor Day, he was stung.
"He was a big guy. A little tiny bee could take out this big guy?" asked Christine.
Anaphylactic shock, a reaction to an insect sting, killed Novak.
A close friend and neighbor tried to save his life moments after being stung, and so did paramedics.
Still, it was too late.
"They worked on him. They tried so hard. It was just so fast," lamented Christine.
Novak's family said he had been stung before, but had no severe reactions to the stings.
In fact, they say he was not aware that he had any allergies to bee or wasp stings.
"A doctor said you could be stung four to five times over the course of your life, and the sixth time is when you have a severe reaction," explained Christine.
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