Global Rescue has medically evacuated a man in South Africa after a leopard bit through his leg, splintering his femur and causing a severe infection.

John Abraham, a 47-year-old veteran of safaris with Madubula Safaris, was in a remote corner of South Africa when the cat lunged at him, driving its teeth through Abraham’s leg, breaking off pieces of bone, and also snapping at his wrist. He was taken to a local clinic, where he underwent immediate surgery to clean and close the wound.

When the wound then showed signs of infection, the hunter’s accompanying family contacted Global Rescue. The company’s doctors reviewed his medical information and decided the South African native should be rushed to a top-tier hospital in Johannesburg.

Global Rescue immediately dispatched a medically equipped aircraft that brought him to the highly qualified facility. There, doctors found the wound to have been poorly treated and performed additional, limb-saving surgery to clean remaining bone fragments and thoroughly disinfect his leg.

“Always advising our clients to purchase Global Rescue [coverage] I never dreamed the day would come that I would be calling for their help,” John Abraham wrote in a letter.  “What an absolutely professional and efficient service they provide.  One phone call was all it took.  They simply took over.  An ambulance was arranged to transfer me to the landing strip.  A fully equipped medical plane was there for me.  They had me on a stretcher on the plane in minutes.  The paramedics were excellent explaining everything to my wife and son who had come up to be with me, at the same time looking after me.”