A couple, aged in their 80s, were hiking in Austria’s Styria province with their dog when a herd of nine cows suddenly attacked them and trampled the man to death
An elderly hiker was trampled to death by a herd of cows while out walking with his wife and their dog.
The 85-year-old and his wife, aged 82, were both attacked by nine cows as they headed towards a mountain hut in Ramsau am Dachstein in Austria’s Styria province last Sunday. Witnesses who saw the incident went to try and help them and have since said they believe the cows may have been startled by the couple’s dog.
Both other hikers and people running the mountain hut went to their aid and contacted emergency services with the couple taken to a hospital in Salzburg.
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Sadly the man died before he could receive emergency surgery and now an investigation has been launched by the police into what happened with an autopsy also set to take place.
“An elderly couple from Vienna and their dog had been walking along a forest path from the Türlwandhütte towards the Austria hut,” said police spokesman Markus Raich.
“Shortly after reaching the hut the 85-year-old and his wife, 82, encountered the herd of cows which included three calves. According to witnesses the cows were startled by the couple’s dog and they were attacked and trampled by the herd.
“Hikers who were present, as well as the hut operators, immediately provided first aid and alerted the emergency services. The 85-year-old and his 82-year-old wife sustained serious injuries.”
He said that the man, whose name has not been released, was taken by helicopter to the Cardinal Schwarzenberg Hospital in Salzburg where he died. His wife sustained injuries which are not believed to be life threatening. Meanwhile, the dog, believed to be of mixed breed, escaped the cows and is being looked after by relatives of the elderly couple.
People are warned to take care while in fields with cows especially if they are with dogs which may scare the cattle and lead to them attacking.
A farmer died after he was crushed to death by one of his cows during feeding time in China earlier this year. The elderly man was giving his animals food when one charged at him before crushing him against a wall. The cow continued to headbutt the farmer as he lay on the ground, screaming in pain.
The shocking incident took place in central China on Friday, April 11. According to local reports, the victim went into the cowshed to feed the animals like he did every day.
But on this occasion, the cow reacted to him aggressively for some unknown reason. The farmer was rushed to hospital following the incident but died due to his injuries shortly after arrival.