Brit croc attack teen ‘fully accepted’ losing foot as she speaks from hospital

Amelie Osborn-Smith has spoken from her bed in Medland Hospital, Zambia, after she was bitten by a crocodile while out white water rafting in the Zambezi River on Tuesday

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Zambia: Teen speaks from hospital bed after crocodile attack

A British teenager savaged by a crocodile has been left suffering “continuous flashbacks and terrible dreams”.

Amelie Osborn-Smith, 18, was on a white water rafting trip in Zambia when a large croc attacked her in the Zambezi River on Tuesday.

The horrific attack happened just after the guides stopped the tour for lunch in a “quiet stretch, between rapids” and left her with her foot hanging off.

Thankfully, despite fears the limb would have to be amputated, doctors managed to save it.

Now Amelie has spoken from her bed at Medland Hospital about the traumatic encounter.

“You don’t really think in that situation, people say you see your life flash before your eyes, but you don’t, you just think how do I get out of this situation,” she told a doctor in a video shared on the hospital’s Facebook page.

“Your brain goes into overdrive.”

She added: “I was very, very lucky.”

When asked what she would say to other young people who may be concerned about striding out on an adventure, Amelie said: “Don’t let it put you off, because it doesn’t happen often.

“I was very lucky, but I’ve seen that your life can be over so quickly. If you’re going to live thinking you’ll regret anything, you won’t have a fulfilled life.

“Do it while you can. Don’t let one incident hold you back.

“When the accident happened I fully accepted the fact I was going to lose my foot, I told my friends I was going to lose my foot but it’s fine because I’m alive.

“When I found out I was so relieved.”

Amelie was asked if she had a message for her grandparents, who had been by her side since the croc-encounter.

“I don’t know many other grandparents who would sleep on the floor of a hospital, on a fold out chair,” she said.

Amelie’s grandma thanked the hospital staff for letting her stay, particularly as the teenager had suffered from “these continuous flashbacks and these terrible dreams”.

Earlier this week Amelia’s proud dad and former Army major, Brent, 60, told of how she had “fought back with great courage and refused to be subdued or taken under” as the beast tried to twist into its notorious “death roll”.

Recalling his daughter’s close call, he said: “They were encouraged by the guides to have a quick dip over the side, to cool off.

“This area was deemed to be safe.”

Everything was fine and clear when the group plunged in to the water, downstream from Victoria Falls.

But, as they returned to the boat, the croc chomped down on Amelie’s leg.

“When returning to the boat, Amelie was bitten on the leg by a large crocodile, which attempted to drag her down into a characteristic death roll in order to subdue its prey,” Brent told The Sun.

“Amelie fought back with great courage and refused to be subdued or taken under.”

As Amelie desperately fought to keep herself out of the croc’s fatal twist, guides and other rafters rushed to her aid and smashed crushing blows down on the reptile with their fists.

Brent added that the “quick thinking and intervention” of the others on the boat “repulsed” the beast’s attack, and allowed them to get Amelie out of the water swiftly.

But Amelie was in a bad way, with a lower leg ripped to shreds, a dislocated hip and her “right foot was left hanging loose”.

The team managed to administer “effective” first aid, and curbed the blood loss, Brent said.

Despite the horror of the incident, Amelie “remained calm and collected”, and shocked the crew because she “didn’t even shed a tear”.

The guides and rafters kept the “very hot sun” off her and made sure she stayed conscious while a chopper swooped down to evacuate her from the river.

Pilots airlifted the 18-year-old to an aid post in a nearby town before being taken on a 240 mile journey to Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, where she had several surgeries which saved her right foot.

And after the operation, one of the medics sent Brent a message saying: “You have one hell of a brave girl there, Sir.”

Amelie was due to fly home to the UK yesterday to have further treatment in London.

The 18-year-old “remains traumatised and heavily sedated”, her dad said.

Brent hopes the family will find out more about Amelie’s progress in the coming days.

He added: “We are humbled by and profoundly appreciative of the courage and professionalism of all those involved in Amelie’s life-saving rescue and her subsequent care and treatment.

“Amelie is a fit, intelligent, brave and conscientious individual who is extremely grateful to be alive and to have been looked after so well by all those involved in her rescue.”