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Home / Entertainment

Bee sting leaves Bear Grylls in life-threatening anaphylactic shock

NZ Herald
30 Aug, 2019 03:39 AM2 mins to read

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Bear Grylls suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction to a bee sting (photo from 2008). Photo / Channel 4

Bear Grylls suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction to a bee sting (photo from 2008). Photo / Channel 4

Survival specialiist and TV star Bear Grylls got more than he bargained for when he
suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction to a bee sting while filming of his latest series Treasure Island.

The UK adventurer, 45, was shooting the series on a remote and uninhabited Pacific island when he was stung by the insects.

Grylls went into anaphylactic shock on a boat in the middle of nowhere when the incident took place, the Daily Mail reported.

Medics on the show had to stop Grylls filming after noticing how serious his reaction was (photo from 2008). Photo / Channel 4
Medics on the show had to stop Grylls filming after noticing how serious his reaction was (photo from 2008). Photo / Channel 4

Footage of the programme show the broadcaster with a severely swollen face and barely able to see.

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Grylls was filming with a group of adventure junkies at the remote location when the incident happened.

The survival specialist attempted to soldier on in front of the cameras, but a medical team had to step in to stop filming after noticing how serious his reaction was.

The medics administered an EpiPen, saving his life, after his eye swelled and began to close up.

One of the show's contenders, brain surgeon Mano Shanmuganathan, told the Daily Star: "The irony of Bear the survivalist being stung, having the potential of an allergic reaction, and needing to be treated with an EpiPen, was a bizarre moment. That was crazy."

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The star went into anaphylactic shock on a boat in the middle of nowhere (photo from 2008). Photo / Channel 4
The star went into anaphylactic shock on a boat in the middle of nowhere (photo from 2008). Photo / Channel 4

Grylls suffered another run in with bees while filming in 2016. Shooting his series Born Survivor, he smoked out a beehive to steal honey in Baja on the California/Mexico border.

His eyes, as a result, swelled up again.

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