10 Julai 2012

Running at full speed with horns out to attack: Shocking moment a raging bull

Hurtling at full speed with its horns ready to strike, a raging bull runs into a man and shoves him into the sea as other revellers look on in shock.

The terrifying moment happened during the Bous a la Mar festival in Denia, on the eastern coast of Spain, in which men emerge from protective barriers and encourage bulls to chase them.

The festival took place as two British men spoke of how they were gored by a bull at Spain's most famous festival.

Liam Tarff, 29, and 20-year-old Nick Couchman were attacked when the half-ton animal, called Runaway, broke off from the main pack at the Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona.

On the rampage: A bull chases a man into the sea during the Bous a la Mar festival in the eastern Spanish coastal town of Denia

On the rampage: A bull chases a man into the sea during the Bous a la Mar festival in the eastern Spanish coastal town of Denia

Jumping in: Revellers emerge from protective barriers to provoke bulls into chasing them into the water

Jumping in: Revellers emerge from protective barriers to provoke bulls into chasing them into the water

Dangerous: Grinning men watch and hold the bull's horn after the animal joins the man in the water

Dangerous: Grinning men watch and hold the bull's horn after the animal joins the man in the water

Mr Tarff, an insurance worker from Brixton, London, was gored in the left thigh.

Fellow Londoner Nick Couchman, a 20-year old events organiser, was gored in the right thigh.

Mr Tarff, who managed a thumbs up to the crowd as he was carried away in agony on a stretcher with a blood-soaked bandage around his leg, said: 'It was a feeling of sheer panic when I saw the bull stop, turn round and run towards me.

'I was trapped against the barriers with people crowded around me and no fast way out.

'I felt its horn go through my leg. It was like being stabbed with a large knife.

Gorged: Laim Tarff was helpless to stop the half ton bull piecing his left thigh with its horn. He is pictured here with the bandaged leg recovering in hospital

Gorged: Laim Tarff was helpless to stop the half ton bull piecing his left thigh with its horn. He is pictured here with the bandaged leg recovering in hospital

Terrifying: A reveler tries to escape a bull in the bull ring, at the end of third running of the bulls at the San Fermin fiestas, in Pamplona

Terrifying: A reveler tries to escape a bull in the bull ring, at the end of third running of the bulls at the San Fermin fiestas, in Pamplona

Daredevils: A runner looks alarmed as he is tossed into the air by a rampaging bull

Daredevils: A runner looks alarmed as he is tossed into the air by a rampaging bull

One man is photographed clinging on to a bulls horns for dear life as he tries to avoid being injured

One man is photographed clinging on to a bulls horns for dear life as he tries to avoid being injured

Ouch! A bull tramples over a crowd of men the bull ring

Ouch! A bull tramples over a crowd of men the bull ring

'I fell to the ground and managed to crawl under the barrier.

'The next thing first aiders were poking their fingers into my open wound to check there were no pieces of bull horn stuck inside and then I was carried off into an ambulance.

'I only did the run for a friend who's celebrating his 30th birthday and dreamed of taking part. He's due to become a father in September and everyone was telling him not to do it but he survived unscathed.

'I'm starting to realise now just how lucky I've been.

'If the bull's horn had gone in a few inches higher through somewhere like my heart, I probably would not have been around to tell the tale.

Painful: A man lets out a yelp of pain as a cow tosses him out of the way during the San Fermin festival in Pamplona

Painful: A man lets out a yelp of pain as a cow tosses him out of the way during the San Fermin festival in Pamplona

Basque regional policemen help a runner to his feet after he fell during one of the runs

Basque regional policemen help a runner to his feet after he fell during one of the runs

Leap: A steer jumps over the crowd of runners blocking its way

Leap: A steer jumps over the crowd of runners blocking its way

'Fortunately the doctors have told me I'll be okay.'

He added: 'The ironic thing is that I've been staying off the alcohol to make sure sure I'm in form for the run with the bulls every morning. I'm probably the most sober person at the festival.

'We tried to do the run on Sunday but were turned back because there were too many people.

'We saw other people who were off their heads running barefoot.

'The experience has been worth it but I don't think I'll be repeating it in a hurry.'

Friend Paul Edwards, 29, one of a group of five pals Liam ran with, added: 'We knew he had been gored from the live TV images they showed in the bullring after the run.

Panic: The crowd tries to escape at Estafeta corner as a fighting bull from Miura ranch charges through the streets

Race: The crowd tries to escape at Estafeta corner as a fighting bull from Miura ranch charges through the streets

Stampede: Some participants are trampled as a crowd gathers at the entrance of the bullring during the second run of the bulls

Stampede: Some participants are trampled as a crowd gathers at the entrance of the bull ring during the second run of the bulls

Adrenaline junkies: People travel from all over the world to run with the bulls

Adrenaline junkies: People travel from all over the world to run with the bulls

'But we couldn't get to see him for over an hour so we didn't know how bad it was.

'We were joking before we came over that one of us was going to get gored and the images were going to be all over Youtube but we never imagined it would happen for real.'

Second victim Nick, also taking part in his first Running of the Bulls festival - called the San Fermines in Spanish - said: 'I know it's been a bit of madness but I'm still glad I took part.

'I might change my mind later but at the moment I feel like I want to do it again.'

Liam and Nick were among three people gored at today's run. A 39-year-old American was also attacked and another three suffered bruising.

Runners sprint alongside Miura fighting bulls at the Estafeta corner

Runners sprint alongside Miura fighting bulls at the Estafeta corner

Near miss: A fallen runner reaches up to protect his head as he lies in the way of Miura fighting bulls at the entrance to the bullring

Near miss: A fallen runner reaches up to protect his head as he lies in the way of Miura fighting bulls at the entrance to the bullring

The 1,200 bull called Fugado - which in English means Runaway - caused most of the chaos.
It fell over at the start of the half-mile course in Pamplona, northern Spain, and completed most of the run on its own.

The two Brits were gored near the end of the run, the third of the nine-day festival made famous by a 1926 Ernest Hemingway novel, and the bloodiest so far.

Other thrill-seekers pulled Fugado by the tail and waved their traditional red neckscarves at it in a desperate attempt to divert its attention and save more bloodshed.

Shepherds herding the animals eventually managed to form a human ring behind the beast and get it running forwards again towards the bullring at the end of the course.

One man is pushed collides with a charging bull and another struggles to get out of the way in time

One man collides with a charging bull and another struggles to get out of the way in time

Skid: Two men are sent flying by a bull and others look desperate to get out of the way

Skid: Two men are sent flying by a bull and others look desperate to get out of the way

Fifteen people have been killed at the annual festival since records began in 1911, and 200 to 300 are usually injured each year.

The most recent death was in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno, from Madrid, was gored in the neck by a bull called Capuchino.

The event has become increasingly popular with foreigners, who join the locals by staying up all night drinking and partying before thousands compete in the 8am run.

Pamplona's population of 200,000 swells to around two million during the festival, the largest in Spain.

After each morning run, the animals are killed in an afternoon bullfight.

An estimated 1,900 thrill-seekers competed in today's/yesterday's (MON) run, around half the number who took part at the weekend.

The 850-metre-long run through Pamplona's old town lasted just over three and a half minutes.

A 73-year-old local was the only person gored in the first two runs.

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