Man Says Elephant Picked Him Up, Spit Him Out

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A Mount Juliet man who was attacked by an elephant is talking about what happened.

Video: Man Trampled By Elephant Returns Home

Jeremy McGill nearly died last month while photographing wild elephants in China. He was at a nature preserve when an elephant picked him up with its trunk and threw him in the air.

McGill, 30, arrived at the Nashville International Airport -- still showing signs of his injuries – in a wheelchair and on pain medication. He was greeted by his mother.

“Oh yes, he’s always been adventurous,” she said.

McGill was teaching English in central China and was taking pictures in Wild Elephant Valley when he was attacked.

“Well, I was like a soccer ball: A bunch of players kicked me around. And, I went inside the elephant’s mouth, and then he spit me out because I didn’t taste good, and then he stomped on me,” McGill said.

He suffered punctured lungs and stomach and broke some ribs and a shoulder. He spent a month in a Bangkok hospital recovering.

McGill said he felt like a prisoner while he was in the hospital because when he ran out of insurance, the hospital would not let him leave until he paid. A benefactor helped him with the cost and Freed-Hardeman University is still helping him with medical bills.

McGill’s injuries didn’t break his spirit, but he said he’s not sure if he’ll return to China and that right now, he just wants to get better.

“I don’t want to get attacked again, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s good to be home. I’m ready to go chill, I guess.”

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