Millionaire game hunter killed by same buffalo he was stalking
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Featured Image Credit: Asher Watkins Outdoors/Facebook
A millionaire has reportedly been trampled and killed by the very buffalo he was stalking while on a hunting trip.
Asher Austin Watkins, a 52-year-old rancher from Texas, has passed away after a 1.3-ton Cape buffalo apparently got to him before he could kill the beast.
The millionaire and frequent game hunter was stalking the animal in Limpopo, South Africa, on Sunday (August 3), when it turned to charge at him at speeds of 35mph and fatally struck him.
The buffalo was apparently 'unprovoked' and 'unwounded' when it attacked.
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The lavish vacation, estimated to cost almost $10,000, was organized by Coenraad Vermaak Safaris as per The Daily Mail which confirmed Watkins' death.
According to the outlet, Watkins' family including his mom, Gwen, stepdad, Tony, and brother, Amon, were waiting for him back at the safari lodge when the tragedy unfolded.
In a statement, Hunter Hans Vermaak said on behalf of Coenraad Vermaak Safaris: "It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts we confirm the tragic death of our client and friend Asher Watkins from the USA.
"On Sunday, while on a hunting safari with us in South Africa's Limpopo Province, Asher was fatally injured in a sudden and unprovoked attack by an unwounded buffalo,” the statement continued. "He was tracking it together with one of our professional hunters and one of our trackers. This is a devastating incident, and our hearts go out to his loved ones.”
"We are doing everything we can to support the family members who are here with us and those back in the United States as they navigate this tragic loss,” Vermaak concluded.
The company added that Watkins' daughter, Savannah, and his ex-wife Courtney have been made aware of the incident.
Courtney also posted in a now-deleted post on Facebook that the accident is proving hard to process.
"It’s a reality that’s still hard to put into words. Our hearts are heavy as we navigate the days ahead, especially for Savannah as she grieves her dad," she wrote, reports PEOPLE. "We’ve been in a state of shock and heartbreak ever since, trying to process not just the loss, but the complexity that comes with it.”
Family friend Jennifer Davis also posted an emotional tribute on the social media platform, writing that Asher 'came face-to-face with one of Africa's legendary Big Five - a Cape buffalo'.
"In a moment as fearless as he lived his life, he met the challenge head-on, leaving this world a man of courage, faith, and adventure," she wrote. "If you knew Asher, you knew his faith, his adventurous spirit, and that signature wink that always let you know he was up to something.
"He loved his daughter, Savannah, more than life itself. Asher was a steady presence in the lives of those who knew him."
Watkins Ranch Group, where he was a managing director, further described the late Dallas native as a successful realtor in the ranch sector as well as a 'proud and devoted father' who loved the outdoors, hunting fishing and traveling.
UNILAD has contacted Coenraad Vermaak Safaris for comment.