A woman from New Jersey was killed by a hippo while on an African safari with her husband who now alleges the tour operator failed to keeping her safe.
Lisa Manders, 70, was gruesomely attacked by the hippo last year in Zambia on the trip while her husband, Craig, horrified husband watched on.
The mother-of-three suffered ‘catastrophic injuries’ and died moments after the attack, according to the lawsuit.
‘Had we understood the dangers posed by the hippopotamus, we never would have agreed to be in such close contact while on foot,’ Craig said in a statement from his attorneys, Paul Slager and Nicole Coates, reported NBC News.
‘The idea that we were unwittingly exposed to such an extreme danger, a danger made even worse by our tour guides leaving Lisa alone on foot with nothing between her and such a deadly animal, is nothing short of astonishing.’
The pair had left America on May 31, 2024, for a ten-day safari in Zambia. They had only been there for five days when they went out on a ‘bush walk,’ according to the lawsuit.
The guides, according to the lawsuit, ‘knew or should have known that the close presence of the wild hippopotamus to participants in the Bush Walk posed an immediate and extreme danger, due to the known tendencies of hippopotami to be highly unpredictable, territorial, and aggressive in such circumstances.’
Yet, the guides left the area, one at least of which was armed with a rifle for the protection of the tour group.
Lisa Manders, 70, was gruesomely killed by the hippo last year in Zambia on an African safari while her husband, Craig, stood on in horror. Now, Craig is suing the tour operator for negligence over the safety of his late wife
‘Had we understood the dangers posed by the hippopotamus, we never would have agreed to be in such close contact while on foot,’ Manders said
‘The idea that we were unwittingly exposed to such an extreme danger, a danger made even worse by our tour guides leaving Lisa alone on foot with nothing between her and such a deadly animal, is nothing short of astonishing,’ Craig said
That was when the hippo suddenly charged out of the water toward Lisa, who attempted to flee the humongous animal, and attacked her.
‘She was unable to escape and the hippopotamus violently attacked her, grabbing her but its mouth, lifting her off the ground, shaking her entire body, and crushing her head and body with its bite,’ the lawsuit said.
The tour had been organized by African Portfolio, a company based in Connecticut. Rod Gould, the company’s lawyer, described Lisa’s death as a terrible but ‘really unusual’ tragedy.
According to Gould, however, the company is only responsible for organizing the tours, working with the most reputable safari lodges in Africa, and not for what occurs on the trips.
‘My client is a tour operator. It organizes tours. A trip, for example, might include airfare. We’re not responsible if the airline loses luggage,’ Gould said.
The suit claims that the Manders’ were ‘neither fully aware, nor adequately warned’ by the guides that approaching the bank would potentially endanger them.
It further claimed that they were ‘negligently encouraged… to approach the water and stand on the bank’ to see and photograph the hippo.
Craig’s attorneys described the incident as an ‘entirely preventable’ tragedy.
The suit claims that the Manders’ were ‘neither fully aware, nor adequately warned’ by the guides that approaching the bank would potentially endanger them. It further claimed that they were ‘negligently encouraged… to approach the water and stand on the bank’ to see and photograph the hippo
‘Her violent death is a devastating loss not only for our family, but for our community,’ Craig said
‘Interacting with the natural world in the wilderness can be an incredibly rich experience,’ Slager of Slager Madry LLC told NBC News.
‘But wilderness guides and tour operators like African Portfolio carry the responsibility to ensure basic safety precautions are taken to ensure customers visiting the African wilderness are not unnecessarily exposed to extreme dangers.’
Lisa is remembered by her husband as the ‘best mother and wife anyone could ever hope for.’
She loved cooking, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family, according to her obituary.
Lisa is survived by her husband Craig, her children Casey, Trevor, and Mackenzie, her brother Paul and her granddaughter Lulu.
‘Her violent death is a devastating loss not only for our family, but for our community,’ Craig added.
