A couple's luxury safari in Tanzania ended on a terrible note, after the husband's arm was ripped off by a lion. 64-year-old Patrick Fourgeaud and 63-year-old Brigitte Fourgeaud are now suing the British company that organised the trip. The couple said that they woke up in the tent with the lion sniffing them giving them the fright of their lives. The incident happened in the Ruaha National Park in August 2015. The couple said that their holiday provider Africa Travel Resource (ATR) failed to ensure their safety, but the company has denied any responsibility in the incident. They said they believed the tent was safe inside. Man Mauled to Death by Lions in Punjab Zoo, Probe Ordered to Know How He Entered Enclosure.

However, the couple, from Mont-Saxonnex, France awoke to find "an adult male lion sniffing her back". It pounced on Fourgeaud and ripped off a part of his arm. He had to go through 10 procedures to reconstruct his left arm and is expected to undergo more surgery in the future. The animal was eventually scared away.

Following the incident, the couple now also struggle with mental health issues. Brigitte is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression. The Sun quoted as saying, "I will never forget that moment when I woke up to see the lion there. 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 and we both want to ensure that this doesn’t happen to other holidaymakers again." The couple said that no physical barriers were placed between the forest and the camp. Also, precautions were taken even by their guide. Tiger Mauls Woman to Death in Tirora Forest in Maharashtra's Gondia District.

Leane Shanks, of Irwin Mitchell, the law firm representing the Fourgeauds was quoted as saying, "Four years on from this horrific attack, Patrick and Brigitte are still trying to come to terms with the ordeal they faced that night. 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. In addition, they were given no adequate advice by their guide on the particular risks that night of camping in that location. This is astonishing when the tents were set up at a location which we understand was known to be frequented by lions and other wild animals at night."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 31, 2020 06:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).