Young woman saves American tourist from hippo’s jaws

THE tranquil waters of a Kariba resort turned to a scene of horror and heroism late Saturday night when a 22-year-old local woman plunged into a dramatic rescue to save an American tourist from a vicious hippopotamus attack.
Ms Shayna Peacock is being hailed as a heroine after her quick thinking and bravery saved the life of the tourist, identified only as Mary. The American survived the brutal encounter but sustained horrific injuries to both legs and is now fighting for her life in the Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital in Harare.

The incident occurred at approximately 9PM at Lomagundi Lakeside Resort in Kariba, where Ms Peacock and her friends were staying for a fishing tournament.

What began as a relaxed evening was abruptly disrupted when a staff member alerted them to a grave situation.
“So, I’ll basically just start from the beginning,” Ms Peacock told this reporter, recounting the ordeal with striking clarity.

“My group of friends and I were just relaxing, having some drinks and listening to music. Out of nowhere, one of the staff members from Lomagundi Lakeside came out and told us there was an incident involving a hippo.”

Initially believing someone was simply trapped, Ms Peacock said her instincts kicked in immediately.

She enlisted her friend, Mr Benjamin Ferreira, who has experience with wildlife, and they rushed to the scene in her car. What they encountered was far more harrowing than expected.

“Driving up, the first thing I saw was the lady — her name is Mary. She was lying on the ground and there was this huge hippo. This male hippo was standing maybe five metres away from her, just staring directly at her. It was a horrifying sight — absolutely bone-chilling. That’s when I realised the gravity of the situation. My adrenaline kicked in and I knew we had to get the hippo away from her immediately,” she recounted.

With Ferreira and a resort security guard armed only with a baton, they launched a desperate counter-offensive. Using the car, hooting and shouting, they attempted to distract the beast. It was Ferreira’s quick thinking that finally broke the hippo’s focus.

“My friend Ben got out of the car and had a brilliant idea. He picked up what was essentially a rock and threw it in the hippo’s direction. That seemed to snap the hippo out of whatever trance it was in,” she said.

Seizing the moment, Ms Peacock expertly manoeuvred the car to create a physical barrier between the injured woman and the retreating hippo. While Ferreira and the guard kept watch, she rushed to Mary’s side.

“That’s when I got out of the car and ran to Mary, who was still lying on the ground, not moving. I needed to check for vital signs, a pulse and assess any further damage. That’s when she spoke to me,” Ms Peacock said.

She lay on the ground beside Mary, conducting vital checks and keeping her calm and conscious. Despite the severe pain from her injuries, Mary remained remarkably composed.

“I think she was in a bit of shock. Honestly, when I reached her, I was more panicked than she was. When I realised how calm she was, I had to take a breath and compose myself so I wouldn’t stress her out even more,” Ms Peacock admitted.

While she provided comfort, other guests and staff rallied to organise an ambulance, which arrived within 10 minutes.

Ms Peacock stayed with Mary until she was safely transported to a clinic in Kariba, before being transferred to Harare for advanced medical care.

“From what I saw at the scene, there was a toiletry bag on the ground. So, I’m assuming she had gone to the bathroom to shower and, on her way back to her camp, walked straight into the animal — that’s when the hippo pounced and thrashed her around,” she said.

Despite her pivotal role, Ms Peacock remained humble, deflecting praise onto the collective effort.

“I lay on the ground with her the whole time, just comforting her. But really, the heroes were the people who managed to get that ambulance there quickly and calmly,” she said.

ZimParks spokesperson, Mr Tinashe Farawo, could not confirm the incident at the time of going to print. Chronicle