Rye native mauled to death by lion in S. Africa

A Rye native mauled to death by a lion in South Africa was about to start a two-week volunteer stint on a wildlife preserve dedicated to saving rhinoceroses and elephants, her mother said Wednesday.

Katherine "Kate" Chappell, 29, arrived in South Africa a week early so she could sightsee, her mother, Mary Chappell of Rye, told The Journal News.

Kate Chappell was killed Monday when a lion dragged her from a car as she was riding through a safari park near Johannesburg, according to South African police. Chappell died while paramedics were attempting to help her, park spokesman Scott Simpson told USA Today.

Chappell, a filmmaker who was part of a team that won an Emmy for work on the HBO television series "Game of Thrones," was reportedly filming and photographing lions in the game preserve when the fatal accident occurred.

Her family recalled her as a talented, adventurous woman who loved to explore the far corners of the earth and lived her life to the fullest.

"Everyone who met her loved her," her mother said. "She lived a life of adventure – she loved traveling, she was full of life."

Kate Chappell grew up in Rye as one of four children and attended the School of the Holy Child in Harrison and later Hofstra University on Long Island.

She loved animals and the family's home was always full of dogs, usually rescued from the New Rochelle Humane Society.

While still in high school Chappell taught herself to speak Japanese. She later majored in Japanese studies and visited that country, as well as traveling to London and other European locations. Her boyfriend, Grayson Hoare, is Australian and the couple had traveled there as well, her mother said.

Hoare did not accompany her to South Africa.

Chappell had been living for the past year in Vancouver, British Columbia, and working for a special-effects company, ScanLine VFX.

Chappell was achieving professional success in her field, her mother said. In addition to her contributions to "Game of Thrones" she had also worked on "Pan," a soon-to-be released movie based on Peter Pan.

She was hoping to make a film about the dangers that poachers pose to animals in Africa.

Lt. Col. Lungelo Dlamini, a spokesman for the police in Gauteng province, where the park is located, said a man in the car with Chappell also was injured.

"The allegation is that while she was driving, the window was open and the lion attacked," Dlamini said.

Simpson, the park spokesman, said opening windows is against park policy, and numerous signs – plus leaflets given to visitors – reinforce those rules.

About 180,000 tourists visit the park every year, Simpson said.

In addition to her mother, Kate Chappell is survived by her father, Jon; sister Jen Chappell Ringwald and her husband, Steve; another sister, Lauren Chappell; her brother, Ryan Chappell; and many friends.

Her sister Jen, via social media, thanked family and friends for their support.

"It means the world to us during this difficult time," she wrote.

A wake will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Graham Funeral Home in Rye. A memorial service will be held at noon Saturday.

Staff writer Liz Szabo at USA Today contributed information to this story.

Twitter: @JaneLernerNY