A Wirral woman has described watching a man climb into a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park before he was fatally attacked.
Ella Ford, 24, from Moreton, was visiting the park near Doncaster with her boyfriend when she witnessed William Chapman enter the tiger enclosure on Saturday afternoon (October 10).
Witness account of the incident
Ella, who was looking at the tigers, said she noticed Mr Chapman pacing in circles on the elevated walkway overlooking the tigers, wearing headphones and appearing "happy".
She told the ECHO: "I only noticed him because he was pacing around. Other than that, I wouldn't have noticed anything out of the ordinary."
"I had a look around and I didn't see anyone with him. I just assumed his family were further down the bridge and he was waiting for them or something."
Ella said she and her boyfriend moved further along the walkway to look at another tiger before noticing Mr Chapman climbing over a wooden barrier.
Moments before the attack
She said: "He stayed for a minute or so. My first thought was that he was trying to get a closer look at the tiger. I never thought he would try and go in. I tapped my partner and was like, 'What's going on?'"
Within moments, Ella said Mr Chapman climbed into the habitat and crawled towards a tiger resting nearby. Her boyfriend saw Mr Chapman take out his phone and move towards the animal.
Ella said the scene unfolded rapidly, with members of the public scrambling to get help as the tiger attacked. One man attempted to frighten the tiger away by banging on the fence, but the animal took no notice.
She said: "It's all a bit of a blur. I tried to look away but I couldn't. I just remember hearing people say 'Oh my God.'"
Aftermath and investigation
"Everyone was trying to get their kids away because they knew what was about to happen."
Ella said park staff began clearing the walkway within minutes, before the wider park was evacuated. She added: "I just can't stop thinking about it. It's heartbreaking."
Mr Chapman, who was in his mid-20s, was pronounced dead at the scene following the attack at around 1.30pm on Saturday. His family have since paid tribute to him, describing him as a "bright, warm and engaging young man" who had battled significant mental illness for several years.
In a statement released on Tuesday, his family disclosed that William had endured "significant mental illness" over a number of years and had been prescribed "strong medication". The family said it would be for the coroner to determine whether his mental illness was a contributing factor in his death.
The statement said: "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened."
"The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did."
City of Doncaster Council has launched a health and safety investigation into the incident, and the park remains closed following the tragedy.
