Tourist killed by herd of elephants at Sirheni Bushveld Camp in Kruger

[HankBuck]

Preaching to the choir, brother. One reason I so enjoy working from home is so I don't have to deal with any of that. If it can be helped, I'm never working in another office again.

3 or 4 times a day, I walk out of my office, downstairs to my wife's office, give her a hug and kiss and grab her ass and boobs. She enjoys the harassment.

@sgt_zim you can do that exact same thing in any corporate Office and it might even be “more Fun” — then go Home and watch yourself become famous on the Nightly News

 

[sgt_zim]

There are no words...

I'm a lucky man. My wife brings me peace.

Proverbs 21:19
It is better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and an angry woman.

 

[bowjijohn]

I’m reminded of three stories

The first, I’m not sure of. The second I’m not sure of the location. The third I know happened

1. Lion Park just outside Johannesburg in early 80s. A Japanese couple got out of their car to take pictures. They got nailed by the lions they were photographing

The Herald led with the headline

“Japanese takeaway comes to Lion Park’

2. Father of two got out of his car in (I think) Wankie Game Park to film (super 8) feeding lions

He got taken down by a lioness that came from behind the car

He and the family (who were going ballistic) were filmed by another group from another car before the driver attempted to use the car to drive the pride away

The guy died of his injuries before park wardens arrived summoned by frantic honking of car horns

That film was on YouTube for a while before disappearing

3. Middle aged Mum of one, very nearly got nailed by a pissed off mating lion pair when she climbed out the rear window of their car and onto the roof to get a better view

Lioness stopped her charge at the car whilst lady scrambled back inside

That lady was my Mum - I was 8

 

[Malambo]

2. Father of two got out of his car in (I think) Wankie Game Park to film (super 8) feeding lions

He got taken down by a lioness that came from behind the car

He and the family (who were going ballistic) were filmed by another group from another car before the driver attempted to use the car to drive the pride away

The guy died of his injuries before park wardens arrived summoned by frantic honking of car horns

That film was on YouTube for a while before disappearing

I`ve seen this video.
Pictures of it were posted on boards at KRUGER NP as warning on never step out of the vehicle
I saw them many years ago, not sure if they continue showing this nowadays

 

[sgt_zim]

@sgt_zim you can do that exact same thing in any corporate Office and it might even be “more Fun” — then go Home and watch yourself become famous on the Nightly News

I get all my excitement hunting. I value peace and respect from my wife, and peace in my life in general - that's why I garden and raise rabbits.

 

[Flbt]

It would do loads to shut down the lawsuits like the one filed against the company who had that woman killed by a hippo.

I would also have a international Darwin Award competition specifically for people who are killed by animals due to their own stupidity.

I don’t think it would help lawsuits.
The woman that used glue on her head had a lawsuit.
Ambulance chaseing lawyers and stupid will all ways get together

 

[Franco]

@Foxi - I do Not agree, a bit harsh. This was a Tourist and Unless specifically told Not to walk around at night AND “why” its just a mistake and fatal consequence resulted. I’ve read enough on this forum where very experienced AH Hunters and PHs made mistakes (or just bad luck) — and are injured or killed…none of them were “stupid”.

"A bit harsh", to the contrary sir and with respect - in this situation, not harsh enough.

A person was trampled by elephants and I have a difficult time dismissing it as a mistake.

Yes, there were fatal consequences - and a tragic ending does not absolve responsibility of those involved; whether it be the individual or, possibly in this case, those tasked with their supervision.

Label me harsh, call me a bastard if you like, you will not be the first, but I cannot accept a lack of verbal warning or posting of signs to be contributory. Neither do I see your example of hunters and PH's as comparative; they know the consequences.

Laying blame on the absence of adequate warnings is dismissing one's accountability for one's own actions. If in the case of a child or someone with dementia, they are incapable, that burden falls upon those charged with their care.

Lack of accountability is one of the things crippling our society today; sadly, it is not being taken away - it is being surrendered.

Do we really need directions on a shampoo bottle, does a car battery really need a warning not to drink the contents, does a manufacturer deserve to be sued because a knife purchased to cut things cut the person who bought it?

People today are becoming more reliant and comfortable with the idea society should protect them from themselves. Continuing on this path will lead to a total dependence. I would be embarrassed to say, "Nobody warned me it was hot", if I burned my lip on a cup of hot coffee.

In this instance:
If it was intentional - she should have known better, it's Kruger - it's full of wild animals
If it was sleepwalking - if you know you, or your partner sleepwalk - you better take precautions
If it was dementia - you do not put a person with dementia in a situation like that

Hank, you and I will disagree, and feel free to call me an insensitive bastard - but I don't buy off on a lack of signs or verbal warning as a viable excuse.

 

[Flbt]

Canoeing in a lake filled with alligators, get killed then blame the alligator, yep, you can't fix stupid.

Alligator attacks, kills woman canoeing with her husband on lake in Florida: "He tried to fight the gator off"

An alligator killed a Florida woman after tipping over a canoe she and her husband were paddling, investigators said.

www.cbsnews.com

I agree with you.
But fl does normal post warring about gators.
But tourists type places will tell you not to really worry about them if you leave them alone they will leave you alone.

 

[Tanks]

I guess your mom had all the money? My dad didn't raise me to treat women like trash to be taken to the curb regularly. ...

Don't know why you brought my mom into it and insinuating their 60-year marriage was due to her money. For your information while my mother's family were comfortable (owned newspapers), my dad's family was even more comfortable (10's of thousands of acres of orchards, real estate invesments and factories). They stayed together because they made their marriage work.

In regard to women taken out to the curb like trash, each of my wives left with a 7 figure settlement plus personal belongings like cars, jewelry etc., etc..

My current partner and I have been together for 12 years, she is the most loving and caring person I know as well as being hot. If something happened to me or we split for whatever reason (her choice or mine) she'd also get a similar settlement.

 

[Rafiki]

This thread ha way run it's course.

 

[Frederik]

I briefly read the 5 pages its tragic someone died.

But here goes a theory it is all the Greens fault culling of elephants was stopped in 1994 before then you would be lucky and very happy to spot elephants when visiting Kruger park 7000 animals vs 34 000 plus.

Now the camps are being kept clean neat and the gardens are being looked after and so you will see big trees inside the camps where the elephanst are kept out and the eco environment destruction outside the camps. So if a family group of elephants would like to find some extra nutrients they would of course hang out close to a camp where there will be a variety of trees and tasty food not easily found outside the camp from the protected vegetation found inside the camp.

In reality if the elephant population were kept in place to max 7000 animals the chances of that lady bumping into a herd of elephants would have been miniscule. Chances of bumping into spotted hyena or lion much bigger as they especially hyena like to roam camps smelling all the good meat being BBQ'd/Braaied.

 

[Paul Raley]

There should have been a safety statement or general camp restrictions, do's, don'ts...something if the camp had no fences.

All parks board camps inside the Kruger Park have fences (electrified) and gates , with the exception of some of walking trail camps and maybe some of the private camps . Gates to most main camps are kept open during the day to allow free flow of vehicles and in the history of the park very few incidents have occurred. When one enters the park you are given a permit with all the rules , and of course many people do not read them which is clear by the general behaviour of many visitors , or they just dont give a damn.
Sirheni is a small private bush camp , meaning that only people booked in there can enter , the gate to this camp is also left open during the day.
If the reports are accurate that the lady in question had dementia then the family should have taken precautions , but not knowing all the facts makes it difficult to comment , and I am sure this is the last thing that they would have wanted to happen, I imagine this has left them traumatised and feeling responsible for what happened.
I too have had experience with people suffering from dementia and it is not an easy thing , and very often just locking up a loved one in a room is not an option.
This incident could as easy have been a small child that got out and wandered into the bush. The fact is whenever people are visiting wilderness areas it must be taken seriously and all the necessary precautions must be taken, and even then things can go wrong as there are always inherent risks.
Just a sad situation but hopefully a lesson to some .( Not all people learn from their or others mistakes )

 

[HankBuck]

"A bit harsh", to the contrary sir and with respect - in this situation, not harsh enough.

A person was trampled by elephants and I have a difficult time dismissing it as a mistake.

Yes, there were fatal consequences - and a tragic ending does not absolve responsibility of those involved; whether it be the individual or, possibly in this case, those tasked with their supervision.

Label me harsh, call me a bastard if you like, you will not be the first, but I cannot accept a lack of verbal warning or posting of signs to be contributory. Neither do I see your example of hunters and PH's as comparative; they know the consequences.

Laying blame on the absence of adequate warnings is dismissing one's accountability for one's own actions. If in the case of a child or someone with dementia, they are incapable, that burden falls upon those charged with their care.

Lack of accountability is one of the things crippling our society today; sadly, it is not being taken away - it is being surrendered.

Do we really need directions on a shampoo bottle, does a car battery really need a warning not to drink the contents, does a manufacturer deserve to be sued because a knife purchased to cut things cut the person who bought it?

People today are becoming more reliant and comfortable with the idea society should protect them from themselves. Continuing on this path will lead to a total dependence. I would be embarrassed to say, "Nobody warned me it was hot", if I burned my lip on a cup of hot coffee.

In this instance:
If it was intentional - she should have known better, it's Kruger - it's full of wild animals
If it was sleepwalking - if you know you, or your partner sleepwalk - you better take precautions
If it was dementia - you do not put a person with dementia in a situation like that

Hank, you and I will disagree, and feel free to call me an insensitive bastard - but I don't buy off on a lack of signs or verbal warning as a viable excuse.

@Franco - I wasn’t there, did not know the Woman killed and only have minimal details and None “first hand”…. Your assumptions could be correct, your opinion remains Yours - I don’t have enough facts and don’t want to appear as a know-it-all.
There could be some future Posts where I will want to be taken seriously and I don’t want to waste credibility (if I even have any) on this thread.

 

[leslie hetrick]

i rode my motorcycle thru yellowstone in 1983 and was stopped while a herd of bison crossed the road in front of me, maybe 25-30 yards. i was impressed with their size.

 

[Franco]

@Franco - I wasn’t there, did not know the Woman killed and only have minimal details and None “first hand”…. Your assumptions could be correct, your opinion remains Yours - I don’t have enough facts and don’t want to appear as a know-it-all.
There could be some future Posts where I will want to be taken seriously and I don’t want to waste credibility (if I even have any) on this thread.

Hank,

I agree with your observation, and completely respect your opinion. I don't disagree about warning signs and cautions, but lack of a warning sign is no excuse for a failure to use common sense. The consequences are too high.

Let me offer this for consideration, if a camp or park were found liable for lack of a warning sign (and I believe someone posted there were handouts given to all visitors) the only way to ensure 100% compliance would be to restrict or completely prohibit any human access.

Putting a warning sign on everything is just not feasible.

Twice in my career I told aircraft owners not to let the pilots offering their services fly their airplanes; the first ended with a crash during taxi and the pilot in question being decapitated, the second ended with a crash on take-off - pilot dead, aircraft destroyed. A third time the owner was told by others to wait for me to test fly the aircraft; he choose a pilot who volunteered his services - the aircraft was destroyed and the pilot killed.

I've seen people walk into tail rotors, get struck by propellers, and airplanes taxied into vehicles.

There were more, but I think you get my point - people do not heed warnings.

Post your signs, but be prepared for, "Oh - I didn't see it"

I appreciate your optimism and encourage you to keep your faith in your fellow man; I became a cynical, hard-assed, old bastard too long ago to change.

With respect to your last sentence - I think you have a lot of credibility

 

[ET1775]

Why is my first response, "Bet she was wearing Birkenstocks" instead of, "Oh my - how tragic."

Because you have a good sense of humor!

 

[Frederik]

I have on good 2nd hand information that the lady had Dimentia and her daughter actually runs a small family business not far from our home. They are devastated and shocked that her life ended in that way.

 

[ET1775]

I have on good 2nd hand information that the lady had Dimentia and her daughter actually runs a small family business not far from our home. They are devastated and shocked that her life ended in that way.

If that is the case, very senseless loss. Completely preventable, still a sad loss for the family.

 

[IvW]

Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.

It is shocking that people then label people who may have serious disabilities as stupid and deserving of ill fate happening to them.

Strange how some folks jump to conclusions and just make assumptions without knowing what is going on or what happened. What is also alarming is that first reports are taken as factual.

Latest reports indicate that she walked out the gate in the late afternoon, before gate closing time. As soon as it was noticed that she was missing, the alarm was raised. A search party found her body at 11pm.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.

It is shocking that people then label people who may have serious disabilities as stupid and deserving of ill fate happening to them.

Strange how some folks jump to conclusions and just make assumptions without knowing what is going on or what happened. What is also alarming is that first reports are taken as factual.

Latest reports indicate that she walked out the gate in the late afternoon, before gate closing time. As soon as it was noticed that she was missing, the alarm was raised. A search party found her body at 11pm.

No one noticed her being gone for HOURS? Hmmm