https://www.theguardian.com/uk...ked-crocodile-zambia



UK teenager reportedly attacked by crocodile on gap-year trip in Zambia

Amelie Osborn-Smith was white water rafting in the Zambezi River below Victoria Falls at time of incident


Victoria Falls. Osborn-Smith was reportedly saved by a friend who punched the crocodile on the nose until it released her. Photograph: Andrey Gudkov/Alamy
Jamie Grierson
@JamieGrierson
Thu 2 Dec 2021 08.21 EST

A British teenager has been reportedly attacked by a crocodile while travelling with friends on a gap-year holiday in southern Africa.

Amelie Osborn-Smith, from Andover, Hampshire, was white water rafting in the Zambezi River below Victoria Falls in Zambia when the reptile pounced at her, MailOnline reports.

The 18-year-old’s father said his daughter had been resting her leg over the side of the boat when the crocodile bit her and dragged her under the water.

Osborn-Smith, who was backpacking after finishing her A-levels at school in Winchester, was reportedly saved by a friend who punched the crocodile on the nose until it released her. She has been airlifted to hospital in the capital, Lusaka, about 240 miles (380km) away, where she is being treated for serious injuries to her leg.

Her father told reporters: “She wasn’t actually swimming but just sitting on the boat and the crocodile saw her leg dangling in the water and thought: ‘There’s lunch.’

“She’s in a pretty bad state at the moment in Zambia and we’re doing our best to try and get her back to have some proper definitive care here, but obviously with a crocodile bite there’s a huge risk of infection and she’s got a very severely damaged leg. It’s quite a distressing situation.

“She’s been stabilised as best they can but it’s still pretty touch and go.”

He said Zambia was on the Covid red list, presenting further challenges in getting his daughter home.

An unnamed friend of Osborn-Smith’s told reporters: “As soon as it happened the male friend dived under the water and started punching the crocodile furiously. Then others jumped in to help. It was chaos. There was blood and people thrashing everywhere. She is lucky to be alive.”

Osborn-Smith was reportedly white water rafting with Bundu Rafting, based in Livingstone in Zambia. The company has been operating in the Victoria Falls area since 1996.

Very sad indeed!

Dangling your feet in waterbodies in Africa??

We were at a hunting camp on the Zambezi.
They told us, "Always keep a Black between you and the water."

Another Darwin Award candidate. No cure for stupidity.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Another Darwin Award candidate. No cure for stupidity.

White water rafting in a crocodile infested river ?

Grizz

Anyone who does that rafting trip down that part of the river is asking for it. I watched them and was in shock that these tourist companies even offer these trips. Same goes for devils pool. Crocks can be extremely aggressive when they get hungry. Hope this young girl is ok.

Damn good friends.

They do white water rafting there routinely, bot from the Zim and the Zam side, for decades. Many rafts go down the river each day, if crocs are spotted they are usually removed.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk...cs-praise-for-briton



‘One hell of a brave girl’: medic’s praise for Briton in Zambia crocodile attack

Brent Osborn-Smith says his daughter Amelie is grateful to be alive and could return to UK this weekend


Jamie Grierson
@JamieGrierson
Fri 3 Dec 2021 10.19 EST

The father of a British teenager mauled by a crocodile in southern Africa has revealed he received a text message from a medic who was evacuating her from the scene by air, reading: “You have one hell of a brave girl there, sir.”

Amelie Osborn-Smith, 18, was left with her right foot “hanging loose” and hip dislocated after a large crocodile bit her leg while she was swimming in the Zambezi River in Zambia during a break from a white water rafting expedition.

Her father, Brent Osborn-Smith, an osteopath whose practice is based in Sloane Square in London, said his daughter was grateful to be alive and hoped to return to the UK this weekend.

“Amelie is a fit, intelligent, brave and conscientious individual who is extremely grateful to be alive and to have been looked after so well by all those involved in her rescue,” he said.

The teenager was on a gap-year trip after passing her A-levels at school in Hampshire, and was taking part in a professionally organised rafting expedition when the attack happened on Tuesday. The group stopped for lunch on a quieter stretch of the river between rapids and, Brent Osborn-Smith claimed, the group were encouraged by the guides to have “a quick dip” over the side to cool off as the area was deemed to be safe.

“When returning to the boat, Amelie was bitten on the leg by a large crocodile, which attempted to drag her down into a characteristic death roll in order to subdue its prey,” he said. “Amelie fought back with great courage and refused to be subdued or taken under. Due to the quick thinking and intervention of all those onboard, the reptile’s attack was repulsed and Amelie was then brought quickly back on to the boat.”

The team administered first aid, stemming blood loss. The father was told his daughter “remained calm and collected throughout” and the crew were “amazed that she didn’t even shed a tear”.

A helicopter evacuation was called and she was flown to a hospital post in nearby Livingstone. It was during this flight that the father received the medic’s message.

After stabilisation in Livingstone, she was flown for a further 90 minutes by helicopter to the capital, Lusaka. She was treated for possible infection, crocodile bites are often highly contaminated, and after “several very professional initial surgical procedures” her foot was saved.

Arrangements were in place to have her transferred to specialist care at a teaching hospital in London, her father said.

“Amelie remains traumatised and heavily sedated but we will know more about her ultimate progress in the coming days,” he said. “We are humbled by and profoundly appreciative of the courage and professionalism of all those involved in Amelie’s life-saving rescue and her subsequent care and treatment.”

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:

"The group stopped for lunch on a quieter stretch of the river between rapids and, Brent Osborn-Smith claimed, the group were encouraged by the guides to have “a quick dip” over the side to cool off as the area was deemed to be safe."

Never trust a tourist guide anyplace where risk or danger is a factor, especially a tourist guide in Africa when "guiding" amidst dangerous animals.

I have seen them do and advise things you would not believe.

Good luck to this young lady.

Wish her the best in her recovery. Was in Tanzania this year and was surprised to hear of crocs way up-river on the Wuku from where they'd been before. They apparently walked around the cataracts and falls. I didn't see any, but heard that large crocs are getting much further upriver than in the past. And the Wuku is the last place you would expect to find a croc. A whole lot of it is clear as a trout stream.