Father of four killed by ‘incredibly rare’ reaction to bite by horse fly

A father died after suffering an “incredibly rare” allergic reaction when he was bitten by a horsefly.

Andy Batty, 48, had been watching his daughter Catherine, 17, ride her horse when he collapsed as a result of anaphylactic shock.

He was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

Mr Batty, a father of four, had been helping Catherine ride her pony Bess at a field in Brixham, Devon, on Sunday.

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Two ambulances and a helicopter went to the field at 12.30pm but could not save him.

Lindsey McManus, deputy chief executive at Allergy UK, said: “Anaphylaxis to a horsefly bite is incredibly rare.

“As with any allergic reaction, the sufferer would have previously developed antibodies, in this case, to the horsefly allergen by being bitten previously.

“Anaphylaxis is very unusual and although horsefly bites can be painful, the likelihood of someone being this allergic is very rare indeed.”

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Mr Batty worked as an engineer at KJ Engineering in Brixham, under boss Keith Iszard.

Mr Iszard said: “Andy was a big fellow. He was 6ft tall and very broad like a rugby front row man. He could lift any weight.

“We couldn’t believe a small fly could knock him down. His death has come as a massive shock to everyone here.”

Mr Batty had also volunteered as a gateman at Brixham Rugby Club for the past three years.

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Horsefly bites can be very painful, with symptoms including dizziness and wheezing as well as a lump around the affected area. The insects cut the skin rather than piercing it, so the wound can take a long time to heal.