Son of US tourist killed in elephant attack on Zambia safari says he does NOT ... trends now
The son of an American tourist killed by an elephant on a safari in Zambia has said he does not blame the animal or the driver for the tragedy.
Gail Mattson, 79, from Minnesota, died while traveling with a friend and four others on a game drive in the Kafue National Park on Saturday.
Her son Blake Vetter told DailyMail.com on Thursday that while some seem to be questioning the driver's action, his mom was aware of the risks and would not put any blame him or the beast that killed her.
'She was really looking forward to this one and she also knew there were risks and that any time something could happen,' Vetter told DailyMail.com.
'People want to blame the elephant and the driver, it's awful how people don't know what's going on...
'The elephant was being an elephant. My mom would be the first to defend the driver and the elephant.'
Mattson was an avid adventurer since retiring at the age of 55, and traveled to Africa with a friend, pictured center left, who was also injured in the attack
Mattson's family shared the above photo of her traveling group
Video captured the shocking moment the elephant attacked the American tourist in Zambia
Vetter shared that his family is still working to bring Mattson's remains back to the US, as red tape in the African country has been difficult to circumvent.
Mattson, a grandmother of one, was an avid adventurer since retiring at the age of 55, and traveled to Africa with a friend, who was also injured in the attack but has since safely returned to the US.
Video of the incident shows the vehicle stopped as the elephant lounged at the vehicle's passengers, but Vetter believes the driver did exactly what he was supposed to.
'The driver stopped because if he kept going they were gonna get injured, he was very professional - when he hollered at the elephant, most times they do run away.'
Mattson's family shared heartbreaking pictures from the day she was killed, which show her holding a flower inside the safari vehicle.
Her loved ones said she was 'living life,' that day, as reported by KSTP. The mother-of-two lived between Minnesota and Arizona, and told friends the safari would be 'her last big adventure.'
Minnesota resident Gail Mattson, 79, died in an elephant attack during a safari in Zambia on Saturday. Her son told DailyMail.com she knew the risks involved in the activity
Minnesota resident Gail Mattson, 79, died in the attack while travelling with five other tourists on a game drive in the Kafue National Park on Saturday
Her friend John Longabauth added: 'Because her birthday is in the summer — I think she was going to be 80, and she felt like she would start slowing down.
'To be honest, I don't know if she'd slow down or not. But at least you wouldn't be traveling as far, probably.'
Mattson's daughter Rona Wells shared images of her African trip on Facebook alongside a tribute.
She wrote: 'We would like to share some amazing pictures of our wonderful Mom's trip to South Africa with her friends and family.
'Sadly she lost her life in a tragic accident while on her dream adventure. I hope these pictures bring some happiness to those that loved her. RIP Mom. We love you and will miss you.'
Horrifying footage captured the moment the massive elephant charged at the
