Thai holiday Scot gored to death by elephant in front of daughter, 16
A SCOT has been killed by an elephant while on holiday in Thailand.
Gareth Crowe, 36, had been riding one of the animals with his daughter on the island of Koh Samui when it threw both of them to the ground.
The elephant gored Mr Crowe in the chest and trampled him before running into the jungle.
The attack happened at about 2.30pm local time.
Mr Crowe was on holiday with his partner Catherine Hughes, daughter Eilidh and son, believed to be called Mark.
Eilidh Hughes, 16, escaped with minor injuries.
Mr Crowe and Eilidh had left Miss Hughes and Mark to go trekking.
Miss Hughes, 42, last night spoke from the Bangkok International Hospital where her daughter Eilidh was being treated.
She said: ‘ My head’s all over the place. We were all here on holiday. My son and I didn’t go on the elephants.
‘I’ve been given no information as to what happened or how it happened. Eilidh is OK but I don’t know exactly what happened.’
She added: ‘I’ve seen some report on a local newspaper but all I know is what I’ve been told f rom Eilidh. It’s j ust myself, my son and Eilidh here. I’ve not been in touch with the British Embassy yet.
‘I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. Right now I need Eilidh to rest.’
From her hospital bed last night, Eilidh denied reports from Thailand that Mr Crowe had teased the elephant with a banana.
In the comments section of a Thai newspaper website, she wrote: ‘He was not teasing the elephant as I was his 16-yearold daughter who is lying in hospital and I was on it.
‘ I know everything that happened. This is a serious situation.’
Mr Crowe, who was a professional diver, and Eilidh were riding a bull elephant called Golf. Witnesses said the animal’s handler, known as a mahout, climbed down to take photographs of the tourists.
The elephant became aggressive, lashing him with its trunk before injuring him with a tusk.
It is then said to have thrown its riders before fatally attacking Mr Crowe. Witnesses said that in the moments leading
‘Not teasing the elephant’
up to the attack, Golf had appeared upset. The y described how the animal had refused to follow the instructions of the mahout, who has been named locally as Pamang.
The mahout allegedly hit the elephant with a stick in an attempt to make it obey his instructions.
Eilidh and her family are originally from Islay, Argyll, but now l i ve i n Linwood, Renfrewshire.
She was treated at the Samui International Hospital before being moved to Bangkok International Hospital.
A spokesman for the hospital in the capital confirmed Eilidh was being treated there for minor injuries.
Mr Crowe’s body is at the Samui Government Hospital, the spokesman said.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are offering support to the family of a British national who has sadly died following an incident in Ko Samui, Thailand, and are making contact with the local authorities to seek further information.’
The charity World Animal Protection said its thoughts were with Mr Crowe’s loved ones but added that the incident was a ‘ stark reminder’ that elephants are not meant to be ridden.
A spokesman added: ‘Elephants are cruelly abused to tame them enough so they give rides and perform in shows.
‘Most tourists don’t know about these abuses, or the potential danger they put themselves in.
‘If you can ride it, hug it or have a selfie with a wild animal, then the chances are it is cruel and the animal is suffering.’
In 2008, a Scots soldier told how he felt ‘lucky to be alive’ after being attacked by an elephant while on exercise in Kenya.
Private Stuart Edgar was sure he was facing death as the bull elephant charged at him, using its trunk to knock him to the ground.
Pte Edgar said the elephant kicked him around ‘ l i ke a football’.
The 18-year-old, of Dunkeld, Perthshire, escaped with minor injuries after the tip of one of the animal’s tusks broke off, saving him from greater harm.