Cow attacks 'leaving people widowed and paralysed' as victim demands action
Victims of stampeding cow attacks have been killed, widowed and paralysed by the farm animals, leading one survivor to call for more action to be taken.
Adam Delves lived to tell the tale when he was stampeded by cows and bullocks in Worsall, Cheshire in 2018 during a dog walk through a field - but the 38-year-old was left with shocking signs of his ordeal.
The herd of 14 raging cattle kicked and stamped on him, eventually throwing him around 5ft (1.5m) into the air and moving him into a neighbouring field.
He said at the time that he believed that they were attempting to protect their nearby calves.
Mr Delves was left unable to work for weeks after suffering agonising injuries to his back, arm, leg and ankle, with graphic photographs showing the extent of his wounds.
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Adam Delves suffered serious injuries after being stampeded by cows (Adam Delves / SWNS.com)
The cows and bullocks that attacked Mr Delves were thought to trying to protect calves (Chester Standard / SWNS.com)For another victim, a cow attack put them on a mission to change how rural land along public rights of way is signposted and set out. David Clarke, 67, was walking his border collie through the countryside back in 2014 when he was targeted by a group of 25 cows. While he has admitted that the thought of the livestock turning vengeful might at first sound "comical", the outcome was anything but - leaving him in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Mr Clarke said he didn't think too much of the cows when he first spotted them at the other end of the field in North Yorkshire, and decided to walk behind to avoid disturbing them. Though at first they appeared calm, moments later the animals began "snorting" angrily - before beginning their mad rampage. The 25 limousin cows bolted towards them, with one of them trampling David underfoot and another running over his dog, Merlin. But as he picked up his injured pet and tried to escape, the cows - which he said weighed between 750g and a tonne - came at him again, leaving him fearing the worst.
He told the Sun: "When I noticed that the cows were coming into me, I thought they would stop. They didn't. Before I realised it was too late. All thoughts go into your head. You think of death but you don't want to. You just wonder, when is this going to stop and how will I get out?"
Mr Clarke was taken to hospital with internal bleeding, and received emergency surgery for a lacerated liver as well as suffering severe bruising, including on his face. His dog, Merlin, sadly died. He has since set up the Cattle on Walkers Safety (COWS) campaign group, where he pushes for increased signage and safety fencing around farms.
Stella Collins from Tonbridge, Kent, was airlifted to hospital following a cow attack in the Yorkshire Dales in 2021 (Yorkshire Air Ambulance / Really)A total of 109 people have died in incidents involving cattle in the UK over the last 21 years, according to an analysis of Health and Safety Executive data by the COWS group. One in five deaths were members of the public, with the rest of the fatalities involving farm workers. COWS campaigner Mr Clarke believes the number of near-misses could be in the thousands.
Once incident highlighted by the group is the tragic case of Michael Holmes, 57, who was pronounced dead at the scene and his wife Teresa airlifted to hospital after a cow attack three years ago during lockdown. An inquest this year heard the couple were walking their daughter's two whippets, Neville and Luna, during a lunch break when they were trampled by the animals.
Michael Holmes died in a cow attack, while his widow Teresa was left paralysed (CFG Law / SWNS)Mr Holmes suffered 35 rib fractures and the sack of his heart was lacerated, the hearing was told. Teresa was meanwhile left paralysed from the attack, and now uses a wheelchair.
Another incident in 2020 saw a headteacher named Dave Clark suffer a fatal haemorrhage after he was attacked by cows on a footpath. Stella Collins from Tonbridge, Kent, was airlifted to hospital in a cow attack in the Yorkshire Dales the following year, and reported still feeling pain 14 months later.
A woman was trampled to death just this month by a herd of cows while walking her dogs along a public footpath. The woman, who has not been named, was walking the access route near Welshpool, Powys, through a field which is home to a herd of 40 cows on September 1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating the woman’s death.
A spokesperson for Dyfed Powys Police said: “We can confirm that a woman died after walking her dogs along a public access path through a field containing around 40 cows. The incident took place on the evening of September 1 in the Maesmawr area of Welshpool. Her family has been notified. The coroner and HSE have also been informed.”
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