In the annual San Fermin festival, an 86-year-old British man became the oldest participant to be injured by a bull. The elderly tourist from Halesowen, West Midlands, was one of 10 individuals hurt during the last day of the Pamplona event. He sustained multiple injuries, including a goring to his left elbow, as well as wounds to his eyebrow and right hand.
Another Brit, 24-year-old William Mitchinson, was also hospitalized after being knocked down and trampled by the bulls and steers while attempting to run alongside them. Mitchinson, speaking from Navarra University Hospital with his ankle in a brace, shared his experience of being trampled by a bull and expressed that he found the festival appealing but would only return for the festivities.
During the brief two-minute and 25-second run, two other runners were gored by the bulls, with one receiving a horn to the chest and another being caught in the thigh. A steer broke free from the group and charged at a cluster of men, resulting in one individual hitting his head on the ground as he fell.
The festival attracted crowds and spectators for eight consecutive mornings in Pamplona, with participants dressed in red and white sprinting through the streets while being pursued by the bulls. Some runners were seen lying on the cobblestone streets attempting to shield themselves from the passing bulls. In an earlier incident, one person was gored in the face, and 12 others required medical attention.
Each July, Pamplona draws thousands of thrill-seekers to the festival, famously depicted in Ernest Hemingway’s novel, “The Sun Also Rises.” Despite the festival’s economic benefits to the local community, with a significant increase in hotel rates due to the influx of one million visitors, it faces criticism from animal rights groups like PETA and AnimaNaturalis, who condemn the treatment of the bulls and the risks posed to participants.
Since the festival’s inception, 16 individuals have lost their lives partaking in the event, with the most recent fatality occurring in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno from Madrid was fatally gored by a bull named Capuchino.
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