Police Save Life of 72-Year-Old Bee Sting Victim

Suffolk County police successfully saved a 72-year-old man who suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction after being stung by a bee.

Greg Kronrad was working outside the Wyandanch Autoparts business on a recent Sunday when he experienced the severe reaction. He later reflected, “If you had to wait for emergency services, or if something worse happened, like being stabbed days ago, you probably wouldn’t be around to talk about it.”

This incident marked the first time someone was treated under a new program in Suffolk, which had recently equipped five police cars with EpiPens just two days prior to the emergency.

After collapsing in his shop, Kronrad spent approximately 15 minutes in distress before he managed to call his son, Kevin, who promptly dialed 911.

When the responding officer arrived, he found Kronrad struggling to breathe and immediately took action to help.

The EpiPen initiative, dubbed “Gio’s Law,” was designed to provide police with life-saving tools. This law is named in honor of Giovannici Priano, a 14-year-old from Long Island who sadly passed away in 2013 due to anaphylactic shock.

Senator Dean Murray remarked, “This shows what can happen when government functions properly.” New York had enacted GIO’s Act for police vehicles to carry EpiPens back in 2019, though Suffolk initially wasn’t included. However, this year the state allowed Suffolk and other larger municipalities the option to adopt the program.

Suffolk County was the first to join, while New York City also has a separate EpiPen initiative.

Interestingly, Nassau and Westchester counties were excluded from the original GIO law due to wording intended to limit the program’s scope to New York City. Now, advocates and lawmakers are pushing for these counties to follow Suffolk’s example and implement this beneficial solution.

As MP Dominic Thorne, who sponsored the Suffolk legislation, observed, “Just three days after the event, a man’s life was saved. That’s the proof you need.”