FARMINGTON — What began as an outing at a beach on Flagstaff Lake on Friday quickly turned into a Vermont couple’s quest to save their son’s life as he had a severe allergic reaction to bee stings.

Carly Tedesco, 31, and her husband, Michael Tedesco, 32, of Bristol, Vermont, were not sure whether they would get the medical attention in time for 4-year-old Luke.

The couple and their three young children arrived in Carrabassett Valley on Thursday for a short vacation with friends at a condo at Sugarloaf Mountain.

The couple and two other couples packed lunches and headed off to the beach at Flagstaff on Friday with eight children under age 6, Carly Tedesco said Tuesday.

They had been at the beach a few minutes when Luke disrupted a bee nest and was stung several times.

It was Luke’s first encounter with bee stings. Tedesco, who has some medical knowledge, quickly determined Luke was experiencing anaphylaxis, an acute allergic reaction.

She and her husband grabbed him and started running up the quarter-mile trail to get to their minivan to seek medical attention.

The Tedescos drove to find help and cell service to call 911.

“We had no idea where we were,” Tedesco said. “It was extremely remote and we drove for miles with no luck on cell service and no civilization.” 

They finally were able to call 911. The connection was patchy and kept breaking up, but they reached dispatchers at the Franklin County Regional Communications Center in Farmington.

All they could relay to dispatchers was “4-year-old, stung, hives and driving on a paved road in our red minivan,” she said.

The couple did not know it, but dispatchers had heard them and sent emergency responders out to find them.

The couple continued to drive to find help.

Luke became lethargic and continued to swell. His airway was closing up and he was becoming unresponsive, Tedesco said.

They finally saw a NorthStar Emergency Medical Service first responder pass them with hazard lights on and hoped it was a sign of help.

The couple pulled over and Greg Drummond, an emergency medical technician with NorthStar, turned around and met them. He examined Luke and had them follow him to meet responders and the ambulance.

Once they met up, Luke was stabilized and taken to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, where he received treatment for anaphylaxis, she said.

“The rescue service was impeccable, and the whole medical experience from the first responder to emergency medical service ambulatory team to the emergency room staff, and even the Hannaford pharmacy (in Farmington) was of the highest quality care,” Tedesco said. “Everyone involved in saving Luke’s life are true heroes, and we are forever grateful for their services.”

Luke took a particular liking to EMT Gabe Gunning from NorthStar, who treated him in the ambulance and gave him a bear that Luke named Gabe. 

The family is back home and Luke wants to help others. He has donned his firefighter outfit and keeps his bear, Gabe, close.

“We’re traumatized,” his mother said. “He’s fine.” 

Next time, the couple will be more prepared when they go somewhere they have never been, including having a map and knowing the location of the nearest medical service.

They also won’t leave home without Luke’s EpiPen.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net