Dog walker trampled by cows before one returned and delivered fatal blow
‘The risk is that dogs are running freely. Cattle will protect their calves.’
A dog walker was trampled to the ground by a herd of cows before one ran at him and delivered a fatal blow to his chest, an inquest heard.
David Clark, 59, was strolling through a field in the Yorkshire Dales on September 21 last year when he was set upon, possibly in a pre-emptive strike by the cows to guard their young.
The married father-of-three was floored by the initial stampede before one of the huge cows doubled back and charged at him a second time.
Despite neighbours rushing to his aid and an air ambulance being scrambled to the scene, Mr Clark was declared dead after suffering serious chest injuries.
The owner of the farmland, in Richmond, told an inquest into Mr Clark’s death that he would have passed through a gate with a sign urging dog walkers to keep their animals on a lead.
David Turnbull said: ‘The risk is that dogs are running freely. Cattle will protect their calves.’
He told the inquest that footfall through his fields has increased three-fold during the pandemic, something Coroner John Broadbridge said could ‘potentially increase’ the chance of such a tragedy occurring.
Witness Rachel Taylor told the hearing she was in her garden when she saw Mr Clark, a deputy headteacher, ‘bobbing’ along the horizon at around 6pm.
She said her attention was drawn moments later to the sound of cattle ‘bawling’, a sign she said indicated they were ‘not happy’.
When she looked again there were ‘up to 20 cows’ in the area where Mr Clark had previously been and she could no longer see him.
The two pet dogs, which Ms Taylor had not initially seen, were running around the cattle, she said.
By the time Ms Taylor and her husband rushed to the scene they found Mr Clark sitting on a hill with his legs out in front of him.
As they got closer, they saw a single cow run straight at him and strike him in the chest.
Ms Taylor said: ‘One cow in particular turned back and ran at him and it hit him straight in the chest and going up the hill.’
She told the inquest Mr Clark was still conscious but unable to move to safety, adding that he shook his head when asked if he could get up and into their car.
Ms Taylor said: ‘I was on the phone to 999 when I heard a noise and a groan and he lay back.’
She told the jury Mr Clark became unresponsive and that another local, Tim Rothwell, rushed to the scene attempted CPR before the air ambulance landed.
Paramedics attempted to revive Mr Clark, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
John Micklethwaite, from the Health and Safety Executive, told the inquest the animals in question were part of a suckler herd, which means the cows were still feeding their young.
He explained that a protective instinct can kick in when the cows feel they or their calves are at risk from people or another animal, adding: ‘These incidents very often involve suckling herds and very often they involve dogs.
‘There’s some deep-seated reaction when they see a dog, they may act aggressively.’
Mr Micklethwaite added: ‘Defence becomes attack as they attempt to ward off what they perceive to be an attack.’
The jury took only 30 minutes to reach their conclusion that Mr Clark died as a result of an accident.
The foreperson said: ‘On September 21, 2020, Mr Clark was walking his two dogs along a public footpath at fields at Low Ginger Fields Farm in Richmond.
‘Mr Clark died there from chest injuries including multiple rib fractures, consistent with an attack on a person by a cow.’
Mr Broadbridge declined to produce a prevention of future death report, which allows the coroner to report where they think action needs to be taken.
But he added: ‘Although, it is something that is worrying in the Covid times that there has been an increase in dog ownership and an increase, noted for example by Mr Turnbull, of the number of users in the farm and thus potential increase in instances such as this, which are tragic and really, really sad.’
He ended the inquest by directly addressing Mr Clark’s family, who attended the hearing.
Mr Broadbridge told them: ‘Please accept from me and I expect everyone in this room our sympathies for your loss.
‘It has been a trying and upsetting inquest to prepare and read and difficult for all concerned I’m sure.’
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