A 22-year-old American woman died after being dragged out of her SUV by a lion

American woman, 22, dragged to her death by a lion and another person seriously hurt after leaving their car window open during South African safari.

A 22-year-old American woman died after being dragged out of her SUV (pictured) while on safari on Monday in Gauteng Lion Park near Johannesburg, South Africa

The woman was dragged out the window of the vehicle. Visitors to the park are strongly advised by staff to keep the windows closed (another van of tourists is pictured, not involved in the incident)

    The tourist was dragged out of the window at Gauteng Lion Park near Johannesburg

    The injured man was reportedly a local tour guide who tried to save the young woman

    It's the third big cat attack at the safari park in four months

    The park said they tell visitors to keep windows closed but are ignored

A 22-year-old American woman has been mauled to death and another person seriously injured after being pulled through their car window by a lion in a safari park in South Africa.

The tourist and her companion, thought to be a South African tour guide, were taking a 'routine' drive through the 20-acre compound containing about a dozen big cats near Johannesburg.

Gauteng Lion Park employee Scott Simpson, 28, told Daily Mail Online: 'The lion approached from the left of the vehicle, the passenger side and walked quite close to the car.

'The witnesses said they saw the guests taking pictures of the lion from a meter away, then the lion lunged at the car and bit the lady through the window.'

Mr Simpson said park staff rushed to pull the lioness off the young woman and carried out CPR.  Paramedics were called but could do nothing to save her.

'When the paramedics were treating the lady she unfortunately passed away,' he said.

He has been working for less than a year at the Park, which is an hour from Johannesburg.

It's the third big cat attack at the park in just four months. 

Police confirmed that the tourist was 22 years old and an American citizen.

The U.S. Embassy confirmed a U.S. citizen had been killed but were revealing no further details, only that they were providing consular services.

The lioness responsible for the attack has been identified and is being kept alone in a separate enclosure.

There were no plans to destroy the animal.