A leading American infectious disease specialist was killed in Botswana after being pulled from a canoe by a crocodile, local authorities confirmed. Dr. Richard Root, 68, was attacked while on a weekend excursion with his wife on the Limpopo River on March 26, 2026.
Root had been invited by Botswana’s Ministry of Health to work at a hospital in Gaborone, the nation’s capital, lending his expertise to the country’s ongoing battle against HIV/AIDS. He previously served as chairman of medicine at Yale University and held leadership positions in several other prominent U.S. Medical organizations.
According to reports from the time of the incident, Root and his wife, Rita, were visiting a remote clinic in the Tuli Block area when they decided to rent canoes and explore the Limpopo River. They were accompanied by an experienced local guide. The attack occurred suddenly, with the guide reportedly only able to shout a warning – “croc!” – before Root was submerged.
“Root was in a canoe in front and Rita in another one behind him,” a spokesperson for the University of Pennsylvania, where Root was affiliated, stated. “They just heard one of the guides shout ‘croc’ and then a crocodile appeared, pulled Root out of the canoe and took him straight down under. He was never seen again. It is believed that the crocodile was about 4.5m in length.”
Botswana Police Deputy Commissioner Thebeyame Timako confirmed that Root’s remains were recovered four days after the attack, not far from the site of the incident. Timako noted that while crocodile attacks are not unheard of in Botswana, they are more common in rivers like the Okavango and Chobe than in the Limpopo.
Colleagues described Root as deeply committed to addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis in Botswana, a country with one of the highest infection rates globally. He was focused on training young doctors and bolstering the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
“He wanted to help and he had a lot to offer,” said a doctor who worked alongside Root. “How could someone who was doing so much decent be taken away so tragically? It is so unfair. He was always teaching the doctors and encouraging them to stay in Botswana and not to depart for other countries.”
Another colleague added, “The whole programme is stunned by his death.”
The U.S. State Department has not yet issued a formal statement regarding Root’s death, but confirmed it is providing consular assistance to his family. The Botswana Ministry of Health has expressed its condolences and pledged to review safety protocols for visitors to the region. No further details regarding the investigation into the incident have been released.
