British pensioner and tourist hospitalised in Pamplona bull run
An 86-year-old British holidaymaker from Halesowen in the West Midlands was rushed to hospital after being gored by a bull during the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain. The pensioner, who has not been named, suffered a goring to his left elbow, as well as wounds to his left eyebrow and right hand. He was the oldest victim among 11 people hospitalised on Saturday, July 18, the penultimate day of the nine-day event.
Second Brit trampled after seeing event on social media
William Mitchinson, a 24-year-old tourist, was also hospitalised after being violently trampled by a bull. Speaking outside Navarra University Hospital with his ankle in a brace, Mitchinson said he joined the run after seeing it on TikTok and Instagram. According to Metro, he stated: "I ran until the bull trampled me. I’d seen the festival on social media, and it looked like good fun. It’s my first visit to Pamplona. I might come back another year - but only for the party."
Chaotic run lasted just over two minutes
The bull run, one of eight during the festival, lasted just two minutes and 25 seconds. One bull broke away from the herd near the town hall, charging down four runners and leaving one crashing head-first onto the ground. Medical officials confirmed that two runners suffered severe goring wounds. Alongside the British pensioner, another participant was gored in the chest near the end of the half-mile course, while a third man was gored in the thigh.
Economic impact and controversy
The San Fermin festival, made famous by Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises, attracts one million tourists each year, pumping an estimated €100 million (£85 million) into the local economy. Hotel rates reportedly skyrocket by 400% during the event. However, the festival faces fierce backlash from animal rights groups such as PETA and Spain’s AnimaNaturalis, who protest against what they describe as barbaric abuse. Every bull forced onto the streets is later killed in evening bullfights.
Deadly history of the bull run
Since records began, 16 people have died on the cobblestones of Pamplona during the bull run. The last fatality occurred in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno from Madrid was gored through the neck by a bull named Capuchino.
