THIS is the horror moment a man is gored to death after being lifted up in the air on the horns of a bull that caught up with him as he tried to reach safety.
Shocking footage shows him sprinting towards metal barriers in a packed arena, glancing over his shoulder as the bull barrels towards him.
A man died after being gored by a bull at a Spanish festival
The incident occurred during the annual Bull Carnival in Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain
He grabs at the railings, trying to hoist himself up, but the animal slams into him from behind.
In a split second he is scooped off the ground, his body twisted in mid-air on the end of the bull’s horns as onlookers scream.
The animal pins him against the barrier, tossing him violently before several men rush in, waving their arms in a desperate attempt to distract it.
They eventually manage to force the bull to release him, but it is too late.
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The tragedy unfolded in the early hours of this morning during the annual Bull Carnival in Ciudad Rodrigo, near the Spanish university city of Salamanca.
The five-day event, known locally as the Carnaval del Toro, runs from February 13 to 17 and is billed as the biggest expression of Salamancan folklore, with bulls at the heart of the celebrations.
The man has been named as 65-year-old Eustaquio Martin, a well-known lifelong resident of the town better known by his nickname Taquio.
The former worker at a retirement home was a familiar face at the festivities and described locally as a passionate bullfighting enthusiast.
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Reports in Spain said he was caught off guard by the last bull of the night – an animal from the Antonio López Gibaja ranch which had already been released earlier.
He died before he could reach the nearby infirmary.
Ciudad Rodrigo’s mayor Marcos Iglesias said this morning on X: “As many of you will be aware, one of our residents has sadly died overnight.
“We send a huge hug to his family and friends and accompany them in their pain.”
He also announced a minute’s silence due to take place at 11am today ahead of further scheduled events.
It comes just months after another fatal goring at a Spanish festival.
In September, a 57-year-old reveller was killed at the annual Toro del Gayumbo in the picturesque town of Ubrique in Cadiz province.
Video showed the man trying to scramble up metal railings as a bull named Mosquetero charged at him.
His right shoe was knocked off as he was dumped to the ground and gored several times. He died shortly after being rushed to a nearby health centre.
Town hall officials at the time said: “We would like to express our sincere condolences and solidarity with the family, friends and loved ones of the deceased.
“We would also like to announce that, as a sign of respect, tonight’s fireworks display has been cancelled.
“In addition, flags on public buildings will fly at half-mast tomorrow as a sign of mourning.”
The officials asked for “understanding, calm and cooperation from all residents and visitors”.
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“The best way to show support is through prudence and respect,” they said.
“Ubrique has always been characterised by its unity in difficult times. Today, more than ever, we must demonstrate this.”
In September, man was gored to death by a bull in Valencia
