A COUPLE mauled by a lion during a luxury safari are suing their British tour operator. Patrick Fourgeaud, 64, and wife Brigitte, 63, woke in their tent in Tanzania to find the big cat sniffing them. It then attacked, ripping off part of Mr Fourgeaud’s left arm before fleeing. He has had a string of […]
A COUPLE mauled by a lion during a luxury safari are suing their British tour operator.
Patrick Fourgeaud, 64, and wife Brigitte, 63, woke in their tent in Tanzania to find the big cat sniffing them.
It then attacked, ripping off part of Mr Fourgeaud’s left arm before fleeing.
He has had a string of operations to rebuild the arm and both he and his wife have developed post traumatic stress disorder.
Mrs Fourgeaud said: “I will never forget that moment when I woke up to see the lion.
“I thought we were both going to die. The attack will stay with me for the rest of my life.
“Nothing will change what we have been through but we both believe that more could have been done to prevent what happened.”
The couple, of Mont-Saxonnex in the French Alps, are taking legal action against Africa Travel Resource, based in Surrey and East Sussex.
They claim there were no barriers or surveillance after their guide set up camp in a dried-up river bed in the Ruaha National Park in 2015.
Their lawyer, Leane Shanks, of Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, said: “Tour operators and holiday firms have a duty of care to ensure the safety of customers, and in this case we believe this did not happen.”
The tour operator said: “The company can not comment at this time as the matter is still subject to legal proceedings”.
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