HUNGRY HUNGRY

Man Survives Being Swallowed By Hippo

“It was as if I had suddenly gone blind.”

In a gripping, almost-unbelievable account, business owner Paul Templer relives the day he was swallowed—and nearly killed—by a hippo in Africa. The accident occurred when Templer, then 27, rushed to help a client whose kayak had been overturned by the “two-ton bull.” As he reached the man’s boat, Templer says suddenly everything went black—leaving him completely unaware for minutes that he had been swallowed by a hippo. After freeing one of his hands, and opening the hippo's jaw, he was able to free himself. But the terror wasn’t over. The hippo then quickly began stabbing the two men with its massive tusks. Templer survived—barely—after enduring more than 40 deep puncture wounds all over his body. His colleague did not.