A British man and wife were critically hurt when they fell off an elephant at a sanctuary in Hartbeespoort on Thursday afternoon, emergency services said.
The woman was sitting behind her husband on the elephant when it knelt to let them climb off after a safari, said ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak.
”The lady and her husband then fell forward and plummeted from the elephant’s back right on to the ground. Both of them sustained multiple fractures and severe injuries,” he said.
The woman fractured her upper leg. Her husband was thought to have fractured his pelvis.
”They were treated and stabilised on scene and rushed off to a hospital in Pretoria for specialist treatment,” said Vermaak.
The couple, both in their 30s, were on the first day of their holiday in South Africa. Their family and friends in the United Kingdom have been informed.
The British High Commission could not immediately be reached for comment. — Sapa