A New Jersey mother of three was crushed to death by a hippopotamus on safari in Africa, according to a lawsuit by her widower blaming the US-based tour operator for failing to warn of the danger.
Craig Manders’ lawsuit says he had his wife, Lisa, went on a “bush walk” with tour guides during their 10-day tour in Zambia last May when a hippo partially submerged in a river “suddenly and without warning lifted its head and charged from the water.”
The Cranford mom tried to flee, but “was unable to escape and the hippopotamus violently attacked her” as the armed guides fled and her husband watched helplessly, the lawsuit said.
The hippo grabbed her with its mouth, the lawsuit continued, “lifting her off the ground, shaking her entire body, and crushing her head and body with its bite.”
Lisa Manders suffered “catastrophic injuries” and died shortly after, her husband said.
Her widower is suing Connecticut-based tour operator African Portfolio, accusing it of negligence for not warning them of the potential danger of the wild animals that typically weight up to 3,000 pounds.
“Had we understood the dangers posed by the hippopotamus, we never would have agreed to be in such close contact while on foot,” the widower said in a statement released by his attorneys.
“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.”
Manders claims the guides “knew or should have known that the close presence of the wild hippopotamus … posed an immediate and extreme danger” due to their “known tendencies” of being “highly unpredictable, territorial, and aggressive in such circumstances.”
“Lisa was the best mother and wife anyone could ever hope for,” her husband said. “Her violent death is a devastating loss not only for our family, but for our community.”
African Portfolio attorney Rod Gould called Lisa’s death a terrible but “really unusual” tragedy.
However, he said the company arranges tours from respected and vetted safari lodges and is not responsible for what happens on the trips.
“My client is a tour operator. It organizes tours,” Gould told NBC News. “A trip, for example, might include airfare. We’re not responsible if the airline loses luggage.”
Male hippos are known to weigh over 3,000 pounds, run at a speed of 20 mph, and are extremely territorial.
