An 86-year-old British man was injured by a bull at the San Fermin festival, setting a record as the oldest participant to be harmed in the annual event. The elderly tourist from Halesowen, West Midlands, sustained multiple injuries, including a goring to his left elbow, as well as wounds to his eyebrow and right hand, among 10 individuals injured on the final day of the Pamplona festival.
In a separate incident, 24-year-old William Mitchinson, also from Britain, was hospitalized after being knocked down and trampled by bulls while attempting to outrun them during the festival. Speaking from Navarra University Hospital with his ankle in a brace, Mitchinson expressed his experience and hinted at a possible return for the festivities in the future.
During the event, two other runners were gored, with one suffering a chest horn injury and the other being caught in the thigh. Additionally, one of the steers broke free and charged at a group of men, resulting in one individual falling and hitting his head on the ground.
The festival in Pamplona, Spain, on July 14 attracted a large crowd of participants and spectators for the eighth consecutive day. Images from earlier runs depicted runners in red and white outfits sprinting through the streets as they were pursued by bulls. Some runners were seen lying on the streets, trying to shield themselves from the passing bulls.
The San Fermin festival, popularized by Ernest Hemingway’s book “The Sun Also Rises,” draws thousands of thrill-seekers annually to Pamplona, contributing significantly to the local economy. However, the event faces criticism from animal rights organizations like PETA and AnimaNaturalis, who protest against what they view as the cruel treatment of bulls during the festival.
Since the festival’s inception, 16 fatalities have been recorded, with the most recent death occurring in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno from Madrid was fatally gored by a bull named Capuchino.
