logo
New Jersey man sues after his wife was killed by a rampaging hippo while on safari in Zambia

New Jersey man sues after his wife was killed by a rampaging hippo while on safari in Zambia

Independent13-02-2025

A New Jersey man whose wife was killed by a hippopotamus is suing an African safari company, claiming their tour guide failed to keep her safe before the attack.
Craig Manders sued Connecticut-based African Portfolio this month after a hippo fatally attacked his 70-year-old wife Lisa Manders during a trip in Zambia planned by the company.
The Manders traveled with African Portfolio and participated in a 'bush walk' through the Zambian wilderness during a 10-day trip in June 2024. There, they came across a hippo sitting in a body of water — which the lawsuit claims the tour guides 'identified and highlighted' for the couple.
The guides, one of whom had a rifle, then 'permitted' the Manders to approach the water before walking ahead, leaving them behind, the lawsuit states. Then, 'without warning,' the hippo 'charged' at Lisa, according to the lawsuit.
Craig then watched as the hippo 'violently attacked her,' lifting her off the ground and 'crushing' her body, resulting in her death, according to the lawsuit.
Now, Craig's attorneys say the company acted negligently in not warning the couple they were in 'extreme danger.'
'Although the leaders…knew, or should have known of the immediate and extreme danger the hippopotamus posed to Craig and Lisa Manders…they nonetheless negligently turned and left the area, walking ahead of and away from Craig and Lisa Manders and leaving them behind with no protection from the hippopotamus,' the lawsuit reads.
Craig said he and Lisa would 'never have agreed to be in such close contact while on foot' if they understood the dangers the hippo posed.
'The idea that we were unwittingly exposed to such an extreme danger, a danger made even worse by our tour guides leaving Lisa alone on foot with nothing between her and such a deadly animal, is nothing short of astonishing,' Craig said in a statement shared with NBC News by his attorneys, Paul Slager and Nicole Coates.
Meanwhile, African Portfolio's attorney Rod Gould told NBC News the incident was a 'really unusual tragedy' and said his client was not responsible for what happened to Lisa on the tour.
'My client is a tour operator. It organizes tours," Gould said. "A trip, for example, might include airfare. We're not responsible if the airline loses luggage."
African Portfolio also said in a statement to The Independent the 'bush walk' was arranged by Chiawa Lodge, a 'highly regarded luxury safari lodge in Zambia.'
'The incident occurred on a walking safari arranged by Chiawa Lodge. Chiawa reported that the guests were accompanied by a highly trained and experienced professional guide, a ranger and an armed National Park scout. During the safari, a hippo unexpectedly charged, killing one of the guests,' the company said.
'Immediately afterwards, African Portfolio's founder flew to Zambia to provide assistance, along with the owner of Chiawa Lodge, to ensure that everything possible was being done to support the family and all those involved,' they added.
Lisa was a mother of three from Cranford, New Jersey.
'Lisa was the best mother and wife anyone could ever hope for,' Craig told NBC News. 'Her violent death is a devastating loss not only for our family, but for our community."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Senior SSE manager banned for drunken crash in Perth woman's front garden
Senior SSE manager banned for drunken crash in Perth woman's front garden

The Courier

time3 hours ago

  • The Courier

Senior SSE manager banned for drunken crash in Perth woman's front garden

A senior manager at power firm SSE has been banned from driving for two years after he drunkenly careered his car into a Perth woman's garden. Peter McKessick was five times the limit when he ploughed his Land Rover Discovery through a hedge in the city's Ettrick Drive. The 54-year-old, who is head of development at the Perth-based energy company, was said to have been drinking excessively the day before, celebrating the end of the football season. He got behind the wheel the following evening, after drinking one more pint, to deliver a vital document to his workplace, his lawyer told Perth Sheriff Court. Sheriff Clair McLachlan told him: 'I'm not sure I entirely accept the explanation given.' McKessick, of Perth, pled guilty to driving with excess alcohol (249mg/ 50) on May 20 last year. Prosecutors accepted his not guilty plea to an allegation of careless driving. Fiscal depute Michael Robertson said: 'At 9pm, a witness was at the rear of her property in Ettrick Drive. 'She heard a loud bang coming from the front of the house.' The woman raced to her front door, where she saw McKessick's car in her garden. 'She observed a male within the vehicle,' Mr Robertson said. 'She could detect and smell alcohol coming from him.' Emergency services were called and McKessick was arrested after failing a roadside breath test. He was taken to Ninewells Hospital, where his blood was taken by doctors and later analysed by police. 'The accused was kept in hospital overnight for observations,' the fiscal depute said. Solicitor William McKay, defending, said: 'Mr McKessick was incredulous at the reading. Obviously, it's a very high one.' He said his client had been drinking at a social event 'around a football match' on May 19. 'He was drinking beer and vodka from 1pm to 2am,' Mr McKay said. The next day, he drink one pint of beer. Mr McKay said: 'At about 9pm, he remembered he wasn't going into the office the next day but he had a document that he required to take to his office.' McKessick got in his car and crashed after travelling a short distance. The solicitor could not explain why the blood-alcohol reading was so high. 'Maybe he has a slow absorption level. He doesn't have a drink problem but he was drinking an awful lot on that particular day.' Mr McKay, who said his client had a 'high-flying' position at SSE, had been driving without incident every day since the crash. Sheriff Clair McLachlan told McKessick: 'This was a worryingly high reading and I'm not sure I entirely accept the explanation given but it does seem to be out of character for you.' McKessick was banned from driving for 24 months and fined £1,000. He was told he can reduce his ban time to 18 months by completing a drink-drive rehabilitation course.

Leaders of 'orgasmic meditation' women's wellness company OneTaste convicted in forced labor trial
Leaders of 'orgasmic meditation' women's wellness company OneTaste convicted in forced labor trial

NBC News

time5 hours ago

  • NBC News

Leaders of 'orgasmic meditation' women's wellness company OneTaste convicted in forced labor trial

NEW YORK — The leaders of a sex-focused women's wellness company that promoted "orgasmic meditation" have been convicted of federal forced labor charges. A Brooklyn jury on Monday found Nicole Daedone, founder of OneTaste Inc., and Rachel Cherwitz, the California-based company's former sales director, guilty after deliberating for less than two days following a five-week trial. The two each face up to 20 years in prison when sentenced later. Prosecutors had argued the two women ran a yearslong scheme that groomed adherents — many of them victims of sexual trauma — to do their bidding. They said Daedone, 57, of New York, and Cherwitz, 44, of California, used economic, sexual and psychological abuse, intimidation and indoctrination to force OneTaste members into sexual acts they found uncomfortable or repulsive, such as having sex with prospective investors or clients. The two told followers the questionable acts were necessary in order to obtain "freedom" and "enlightenment" and demonstrate their commitment to the organization's principles. Prosecutors said OneTaste leaders also didn't pay promised earnings to the members-turned-workers and even forced some of them to take out new credit cards to continue taking the company's courses. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nina Gupta, in her closing statement last week, said the defendants "built a business on the backs" of victims who "gave everything" to them, including "their money, their time, their bodies, their dignity, and ultimately their sanity." "The jury's verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants' benefit," said Joseph Nocella, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Daedone's defense team cast her as a "ceiling-shattering feminist entrepreneur" who created a unique business around women's sexuality and empowerment. Cherwitz's lawyer, Celia Cohen, argued that the witnesses who testified weren't forced to do anything. When they didn't like the organization anymore or wanted to try other things, she said, they simply left. "No matter what you think about OneTaste and what they were doing, they chose it. They knew what it was about," she said in her closing statement last week. "The fact they are regretting the actions that they took when they were younger is not evidence of a crime." Lawyers for the defendants said their clients maintain their innocence and intend to appeal. "We are deeply disappointed in today's verdict," the lawyers said in a statement Monday. "This case raised numerous novel and complex legal issues that will require review by the Second Circuit." Daedone co-founded OneTaste in San Francisco in 2004 as a sort of self-help commune that viewed female orgasms as key to sexual and psychological wellness and interpersonal connection. A centerpiece was "orgasmic meditation," or "OM," which was carried out by men manually stimulating women in a group setting. The company enjoyed glowing media coverage in the 2010s and quickly opened outposts from Los Angeles to London. Portrayed as a cutting-edge enterprise that prioritized women's sexual pleasure, it generated revenue by providing courses, coaching, OM events, and other sexual practices for a fee. Daedone sold her stake in the company in 2017 for $12 million — a year before OneTaste's marketing and labor practices came under scrutiny. The company's current owners, who have rebranded it the Institute of OM Foundation, have said its work has been misconstrued and the charges against its former executives were unjustified.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store