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Man gored to death in Pamplona's running of the bulls
A man was gored to death today at the famous running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. It is the first such death since 2003.
The victim, reported by Spanish media to be a Spanish national named Daniel Jimeno Romero, 27, was killed when a brown bull named Capuchino broke away from the main group and attacked a crowd of runners. Three other runners were injured.
The running of the bulls is part of the week-long Festival of San Fermín. Crowds of people traditionally dressed all in white and wearing red kerchiefs run through the streets toward the bullfighting ring, being chased by a herd of bulls. Later in the day matadors fight and kills the animals.
As seen in this video, the man was knocked to the ground before being gored in the neck. He was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery but died of his injuries. This longer video shows the entire run as well as the fatal incident.
The festival was made famous by Ernest Hemingway in his book The Sun also Rises and attracts thousands of runners a year, many of them foreign tourists. It remains a controversial and dangerous event. Since the running of the bulls started in 1922, fifteen people have been killed, including one American, and hundreds injured.
We here at Gadling extend our sympathies to Señor Romero and his family and want to remind our readers to think twice before engaging in risky activity while on holiday.
Gallery: Running of the bulls
Filed under: Festivals and Events, Europe, Spain, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
daleandersen Jul 10th 2009 3:31PM
why is this news?
Sean McLachlan Jul 10th 2009 3:38PM
I generally don't give serious replies to fatuous questions but I'm feeling charitable so I'll explain it to you.
1. Someone died at an event that draws worldwide media attention every year.
2. The death highlights an ongoing debate over the wisdom and morality of bullfighting and running with the bulls.
3. The story points out the dangers of participating in an event that draws thousands of tourists every year.
4. It's travel news and this is a travel blog.
Got it? Do I need to explain where Spain is?
Zach Jul 10th 2009 6:54PM
Isn't that, like, what's supposed to happen?
Sean McLachlan Jul 10th 2009 6:57PM
It's a bit like sex and pregnancy. Everyone thinks they can enjoy the one without the risk of getting the other.
Bull project person 67 Jul 11th 2009 2:04PM
i'm doing a project on bull running, it's hard to find anything good about it, people treat the bulls very badly, and they should expect everything they get, i do feel sorry for the people concerned
Sean McLachlan Jul 12th 2009 4:54AM
Sounds like an interesting project. Can you tell us some more about it?
Erin Apr 2nd 2010 3:18PM
Sean, you are seriously funny :). Thanks for that first comment. I'm actually laughing. Have you ever been to Pamplona? The San Fermin festival is unbelievable. (http://www.sanfermin.com). There is no event like it in the world. So much history with a Mardi Gras party. Amazing. I'm not much for the running part. Would much rather view the festivities from a far. You can rent balcony spaces to watch the run from. http://www.pamplonabalconies.com has been a helpful resource. Nice folks. Hope you can make it out at some point and join the party.
Running of the Bulls 2011 Oct 5th 2010 1:12PM
Death could be a chance you take when you run with the bulls, that's why I chose to get a balcony space through http://pamplonahousing.com because they have some with amazing views! I have seen some people get hurt while running and it's so scary. I'm planning on running with the bulls in 2011 and maybe I'll see you there!