The muddy waters of the Mara River rushed around David Thompson’s chest as he fought against the current, the drowning lion cub clinging desperately to his shoulders. Just minutes earlier, the 34-year-old wildlife photographer had been setting up his equipment on the riverbank, when he witnessed something that would change his life forever.

The cub, no more than four months old, had been playing too close to the water’s edge when the soft earth crumbled beneath his paws. His terrified squeals, as he was dragged downstream by the powerful current, pierced through David’s professional detachment. Without hesitation, David dropped his camera and plunged into the dangerous river.

I couldn’t just watch him drown, David later told investigators. Every instinct I had as a human being overrode my training as a wildlife photographer. The rescue nearly cost David his life.

The Mara River during flood season is treacherous, filled with hidden debris and unpredictable currents that have claimed the lives of countless animals and several humans over the years. As David fought to reach the struggling cub, a submerged log struck his left shoulder, nearly knocking him unconscious. Only his determination to save the young lion kept him focused as he finally managed to grab the exhausted animal.