Man dies after being attacked by ‘extremely agitated’ cow that escaped from market and trampled him, inquest hears
A MAN died after an “extremely agitated” cow escaped from a market and attacked him, an inquest has heard.
Huw Evans, 75, suffered serious injuries when he was trampled by the bovine as he crossed the road in Wales last year.
The retired council worker was airlifted to hospital following the November 19 incident in Carmarthenshire but died six days later.
An inquest into Huw’s death has now heard how the female cow escaped while being unloaded from a trailer at a livestock market in Whitland.
Handler Elgan Rees Williams said the nine year old “went wild” as he and colleague Gordon Silwyn George were preparing to unload it.
He told the hearing: “She just pushed the gate, bent the gate and flew out. She ran out straight for the road.
“We tried to stop her, there were three or four of us by then.”
Mr Williams said in his 36 years as a cattle drover he had never seen an animal behave like it.
The group followed the cow into Whitland and tried to shut it into the fire station yard but it escaped, the inquest at Llannelli Coroners’ Court heard.
Mr George said he was hurled onto the back of a pick-up truck by the rampaging cow as he tried to stop it from running onto the main road.
Sian Murrow, also a drover, added: “We saw the cow running towards our direction with its head down as if it was going to charge us.
“I saw an elderly man crossing the road. At this point, the male was halfway across the road. I witnessed the cow going towards him.
“It was in an extremely agitated state from the beginning to end.”
Paula Wilson, the farmer who owned the brown Limousin breed said it “wasn’t distressed” before market adding she has been “very upset” by Huw’s death.
The jury said the grandfather died of pneumonia, multiple rib fractures and trample injuries sustained from a cow.
Severe mitral regurgitation, renal failure and frailty of old age were also factors.
His family said: “Huw was a loved dad, dadcu, brother, uncle and friend to many.
“We would like to thank the community for their support and well wishes while Huw was in hospital and since his passing, we now know how much he will be missed.”