Wife saves husband's life by punching hippo during honeymoon attack
A man attacked by a hippo in the Okavango Delta survived because his wife punched the animal to free him.
Samuel and his wife Anna were canoeing in Botswana's Okavango Delta when a mother hippo with two calves charged their boat. The animal knocked him underwater, clamped its jaws around his leg, and tore open his abdomen.
Anna saw her husband in the hippo's mouth, screamed, and punched the animal near its face until it released him. When Samuel surfaced, he saw his intestines hanging out.
Anna used his belt and headscarf as tourniquets while they reached another canoe. A helicopter evacuation the next morning took him to Netcare Milpark Hospital in South Africa, where doctors performed emergency surgery for a hole in his back, fractured ribs and vertebrae, and crushed intestines.
He spent 19 days in hospital and recovered. They do not blame the hippo.
- 10
- Days into honeymoon
- 19 days
- Samuel's hospital stay
- 13
- Years together before marriage
- Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Location of attack
Why it mattersThe story shows how quick thinking and courage can save a life in a life-threatening animal attack.
AustraliaAustralians travelling to Africa for adventure holidays face real dangers from wildlife; the story underscores the importance of heeding local warnings and emergency preparation.
Corroborated byThe Guardian
