Video: British tourist gored by bull in Spain
A British holidaymaker was caught on camera and on the horns of a half-tonne bull as he was charged and gored in Calpe, near Benidorm.
Former soldier Peter Mayne, 41, was mauled and tossed into the air at the Bous al Carrer – 'bulls in the street' – bull-running festival on August 6th.
Bystanders attempted to distract the animal from smashing him against steel railings but could not do so before he sustained injuries requiring 150 stitches and staples.
A video of the attack was posted to YouTube.
The London Underground tube worker was described as "still stuck in a wheel chair" by his wife, Mandy.
She told British tabloid The Mirror: "He seems okay but there is no indication when he can leave. He cannot fly until his stitches have healed up because of the pressure."
His 18-year-old stepdaughter Hannah Chamberlain who was also present at the attack said: "He was having his photo taken when it happened.
"He thought the bull was nowhere near him. Then it turned around and ran.
"We couldn't see when it was happening but we knew it wasn't good. I was just scared.
"It was quite an open wound and he was in a lot of pain. Within 10 minutes he was leaving in an ambulance.
"Luckily, all his internal organs and arteries were missed."
This was not the only goring at the festival this year.
Two other YouTube videos show spectators teasing and taunting bulls before coming unstuck.
Animal rights organizations regularly condemn the involvement of bulls in Spanish festivals, and bullfighting is banned in the autonomous region of Catalonia.
But Spain's ruling Popular Party supports bullfighting and overturned a 6-year ban to return live broadcasts of the activity to the state-owned TVE channel last year.
The return was, however, short lived, as arguments over broadcast rights and funding halted transmissions.
A new deal to return bullfights to TVE is being negotiated and is reported to be close to finalization.
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Former soldier Peter Mayne, 41, was mauled and tossed into the air at the Bous al Carrer – 'bulls in the street' – bull-running festival on August 6th.
Bystanders attempted to distract the animal from smashing him against steel railings but could not do so before he sustained injuries requiring 150 stitches and staples.
A video of the attack was posted to YouTube.
The London Underground tube worker was described as "still stuck in a wheel chair" by his wife, Mandy.
She told British tabloid The Mirror: "He seems okay but there is no indication when he can leave. He cannot fly until his stitches have healed up because of the pressure."
His 18-year-old stepdaughter Hannah Chamberlain who was also present at the attack said: "He was having his photo taken when it happened.
"He thought the bull was nowhere near him. Then it turned around and ran.
"We couldn't see when it was happening but we knew it wasn't good. I was just scared.
"It was quite an open wound and he was in a lot of pain. Within 10 minutes he was leaving in an ambulance.
"Luckily, all his internal organs and arteries were missed."
This was not the only goring at the festival this year.
Two other YouTube videos show spectators teasing and taunting bulls before coming unstuck.
Animal rights organizations regularly condemn the involvement of bulls in Spanish festivals, and bullfighting is banned in the autonomous region of Catalonia.
But Spain's ruling Popular Party supports bullfighting and overturned a 6-year ban to return live broadcasts of the activity to the state-owned TVE channel last year.
The return was, however, short lived, as arguments over broadcast rights and funding halted transmissions.
A new deal to return bullfights to TVE is being negotiated and is reported to be close to finalization.
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