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A British teenager who was attacked by a crocodile on Tuesday has described how she thought she would lose her leg.
Amelie Osborn-Smith, 18, was white water rafting on the Zambezi River, Zambia, trailing her leg over the side of her boat, when a crocodile clamped on to it and dragged her underwater.
Following the attack, which according to her father Brent Osborn-Smith saw the teenager suffer a dislocated hip and a badly mauled lower leg and right foot, she was airlifted to Medland Hospital in Zambia's capital, Lusaka.
In a video posted to the hospital's Facebook, Amelie Osborn-Smith describes her thoughts at the time of the attack. She said: "You don't really think in that situation. People say that you see your life flash before your eyes, but you don't, you just think: 'How do I get out of this situation?'
"Your brain just goes into overdrive. I was just very, very lucky."
Amelie Osborn-Smith survived a crocodile bite in Livingstone, Zambia. Evacuated to Medland Hospital where she underwent surgical procedures by the Trauma...
Amelie Osborn-Smith, who was visiting Zambia during a year out between studies, added that the attack would not deter her from returning to Zambia in the future. She continued: "I can see now that your life can be over so quickly. It sounds cliched, but if you're going to live thinking you're going to regret everything, you're never going to have a fulfilled life.
"I think, just do it all while you can, and don't let one incident hold you back."
The teenager's father explained that the actions of the boat's team had likely stopped the incident from being much worse. He said: "Due to the quick thinking and intervention of all those on board, the reptile's attack was repulsed and Amelie was then brought quickly back onto the boat.
"The team all pulled together with a strong sense of urgency and administered effective first aid, particularly in relation to potential blood loss.
Brent Osborn-Smith, an osteopath based in London, continued by explaining that his daughter had remained calm and collected throughout the incident. He added: "The crew were amazed that she didn't even shed a tear."
In the video, Amelie Osborn-Smith explained she thought she would lose her foot as a result of the crocodile attack. She said: "When the accident happened I fully accepted the fact that I was going to lose my foot. I accepted that and I had said to all my friends it's fine I've lost my foot—I am still alive."
After surgical procedures performed by the staff in the trauma unit of Medland Hospital, Osborn-Smith's foot was saved. She described her feelings upon waking and discovering this: "I was told that my foot was going to be fine and that I will be able to walk again. It is such a relief."
The company that organized the rafting trip, Bunda Rafting, said in a statement: "What happened to Ms. Osborn-Smith is an unfortunate accident—the first of its kind to occur with Bundu Rafting.
"Ms. Osborn-Smith's well-being and speedy recovery is our top priority, and will remain so until she is discharged from hospital."
