Tourists: Botswana Safari Took a Terrifying Turn

Two tourists are recounting a harrowing incident in Botswana, where their canoe safari took a sharp turn when an elephant charged at them. As Jeff Melvin and Larry Unrein tell ABC News, their group of British and American tourists approached what appeared to be a routine herd along the river while in the Okavango Delta on Sept. 27. The group could see "that they were kind of getting a little annoyed at our presence," said Melvin. But the real danger was hidden—a mother elephant with two calves, camouflaged in the tall grass.

Within moments, the protective elephant charged, in a scene caught on video by Unrein. "The first thought that came to my mind was, 'This is the end of me,'" Melvin told ABC News. USA Today reports the elephant capsized two canoes, depositing some tourists into waters that crocodiles frequent. While Melvin and Unrein made it to safety, a woman in their group was held underwater by the elephant's trunk but managed to survive, reports the Telegraph. ABC explains the water managed to "[act] as a cushion for the woman and also helped conceal her from the elephant."

Ron Magill of Zoo Miami underscored just how dangerous the situation was. "Generally speaking, elephants, what they do when they go after somebody, is they literally try to mash them into the ground," said Magill. "There's nothing more dangerous than an elephant mother with young calves."