MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. -- A Mount Juliet man is recovering in Thailand after he was attacked by an elephant in China.

Watch The Story

Nancy McGill said her son, Jeremy, is Mr. Adventure. He has been skydiving, written a book about his hike across America, and since August, has been in central China teaching English.

But McGill said he's best known for his humor, so when she got a call Friday from his friend in China saying that Jeremy had been attacked by a wild elephant, she was sure it was a joke.

"I sat on the phone waiting for the punch line to come and (hear) him maybe on three-way and laughing saying, 'Gotcha,'" said McGill.

But the joke never came.

After the attack, her 30-year-old son from Mount Juliet was left unconscious and in critical condition after an elephant picked him up by its trunk and threw him in the air.

"He was going to die, that's what first went through my mind," said McGill.

The attack happened as Jeremy McGill was touring Wild Elephant Valley, a nature reserve in the Yunnan Province of China.

"Both his lungs were punctured. His stomach was punctured. His ribs were broken, and his left shoulder was broken,” said McGill.

It's unclear why the elephant snapped but Jeremy was reportedly taking a picture of the animals when another attacked him.

The bizarre attack made the news nationally in China.

Jeremy McGill was transported to Thailand under the care of special doctors and is listed in serious condition.

McGill spoke with her son on Sunday night for the first time after the attack.

"Last night I could understand the words he was saying, so he is better, much better. Yes, he is going to make it," said McGill.

A spokesman for Chinese Foreign Affairs said elephants have attacked tourists at that reserve before.

He said in the previous attacks, the elephants were spooked by camera flashes or loud noises, but it was unclear on Monday was caused this recent incident.

A fund has been set up for McGill.

Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn., is accepting donations for the Jeremy McGill Medical Fund.

Checks can be sent to the school at 158 East Main Street in Henderson, Tenn., 38340.

Popular Slideshows On WSMV.com:

Slideshow: Red-Hot Redheaded Celebrity Women

Slideshow: Celebrities Commit Fashion Faux Pas

Slideshow: Great Weather Photos

Slideshow: Huge Rolls Of Paper Fall Off Tractor-Trailer

Slideshow: Great Weather Photos

Slideshow: Cute Pet Photos