Family's Mystery Solved After Pilot's Sudden Death
A JetBlue pilot and father of three died just hours after eating a hamburger at a family barbecue, with medical investigators later discovering his death was caused by a rare allergy to red meat triggered by a tick bite.
Brian Waitzel, 47, passed away in Wall Township, New Jersey in September 2024 after experiencing severe stomach pains. Initially, an autopsy concluded the cause as 'sudden unexplained death,' leaving his family devastated and searching for answers.
'Everything changed in our life in 10 minutes and to not know why. That was so upsetting,' Waitzel's wife, Pieper Waitzel, told the New York Times.
The Day That Changed Everything
The tragedy unfolded on what seemed like a normal day. Waitzel had enjoyed a hamburger at a barbecue around 3pm and returned to his $1.7 million home to mow the lawn. His wife left the house at 7pm, with Waitzel showing no symptoms at that time.
Just twenty minutes later, the situation turned critical. Waitzel fell violently ill, experiencing severe abdominal pain and vomiting. His teenage son called Pieper to report that 'dad is getting sick again,' then discovered his father unconscious in the bathroom.
The family's son, who had recently received CPR training for his lifeguard job, immediately began resuscitation efforts. Paramedics continued life-saving measures for two hours, but Waitzel was declared dead at 10:22 pm.
Unravelling the Medical Mystery
For a year, the family lived without answers until a team of physicians and allergists published their findings in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. They confirmed Waitzel's death was caused by alpha-gal syndrome, a severe allergy to red meat transmitted by tick bites.
The investigation revealed a pattern. Two weeks before his death, Waitzel had experienced a similar but less severe episode after eating beef steak during a camping trip with his wife. Pieper recalled the terrifying incident: 'It was raining, and he was rolling around on the tent platform in such pain, he couldn't even tell me what was happening.'
Waitzel had told one of his sons afterwards, 'I thought I was going to die.' Yet by morning, he felt well enough to complete a five-mile hike, leading the couple to dismiss the episode as food poisoning.
The Tick Connection
Pieper later remembered that her husband had returned from jogging earlier that year with small bites around his ankles. She described them as 'chiggers' - often referring to Lone Star ticks in the eastern US, which are now recognised as a primary cause of alpha-gal syndrome.
In a tragic twist, the couple had previously discussed alpha-gal after Pieper read an article about tick bites causing meat allergies. 'I said to my husband "You should read this",' she told the Times. However, they dismissed the risk as low, believing their inland home protected them from tick-borne illnesses more common in Jersey Shore beach towns.
Waitzel represents the first confirmed fatality from alpha-gal syndrome, though researchers warn many people may be unaware they have the condition. The research team noted that increasing deer populations across multiple states will likely expose more people to the Lone Star tick.
Researchers are urging better education about alpha-gal, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented widespread lack of awareness among physicians about this emerging health threat.
