An 18-year-old British woman is lucky to be alive after she was attacked by a 10-foot crocodile while white water rafting on the Zambezi River in Zambia. Amelie Osborn-Smith was left with her “foot dangling loose” and her hip dislocated after the animal latched on to her, despite being assured the river was safe to swim in.
- Amelie was dragged into a death roll. She admitted that she’s been suffering from nightmares and flashbacks since the attack, during which her “mind went into overdrive” as she simply attempted to survive. According to her father, Army Major Brent Osborn-Smith, she’d been dangling her leg over the side of the boat when the crocodile struck, grabbing her calf and dragging her under. She was only able to escape when a male friend jumped in and began punching the crocodile in the nose repeatedly until it let her go.
- All she could think about was how to survive. Speaking to staff from her bed at Medland Hospital, Amelie recalled the terrifying ordeal and what was going through her mind at the time. “You don’t really think in that situation. People say you see your life flash before your eyes, but you don’t,” she said. “You just think, ‘How did I get out of this situation?’ Your mind just goes into overdrive and you just think about how to get out. I was just very, very lucky.”
- It hasn’t put her off wanting to return. While many people would be scared to ever go in the water again, Amelie isn’t one of them. In fact, she says she plans to go back as soon as she’s able to because she doesn’t think a single rare occurrence like this should “hold you back.” She shared: “I have seen that your life can be over so quickly. If you live thinking you’re going to regret everything you’re never going to have a fulfilled life.”
- Thankfully, she’s going to make a full recovery. Amelie had already resigned herself to losing one of her limbs, so she was shocked to be told by surgeons that no such thing would happen. “When the accident happened I fully accepted the fact I was going to lose my foot,” she said. “I said to all my friends, ‘It’s fine, I have lost my foot, I am still alive.’ Then I was told that my foot’s gonna be fine, that I will be able to walk and it’s just such a relief.” Here’s hoping she makes a speedy recovery!
