Man sent to ICU after live broadcast 'poking hornet's nest'

For some people, pulling the odd stunt is a small price to pay for online celebrity. In fact, for one audacious daredevil, even literally stirring up a hornet's nest was just the price of admission for potential fame and fortune.

In order to attract followers on his live streaming account, where hosts can be awarded varying sums of money depending on their popularity, a 29-year-old man from Chongqing live streamed himself disturbing a hornets' nest on the evening of Oct 4. The man, Jiang Bo, ended up receiving 37 hornet stings and fainted at the site. He was sent to the nearest hospital and later transferred to the ICU, where he remained as of Oct 8, Chongqing Evening News reported.

Jiang has been a live streaming host for three months. To attract more viewers, he came up with the idea of a risky stunt. He paid 500 yuan to rent a crane that could lift him to the top of a tree, and he put his plan into action on Oct 4 in the company of friends. To protect himself, he wore a motorcycle helmet and raincoat. Unfortunately, the hornets managed to enter through his pant legs.

Shortly after the live stream started, Jiang's friends heard him shouting, "I can't bear it anymore! Let me down." By the time he was lowered to the ground, Jiang was already unconscious.

In the three months he has been working as a live streaming host, Jiang made about 3,000 yuan per month, which he shared with some assistants. His treatment so far has cost him more than 10,000 yuan, according to the report.