Runner Gored in Face as 13 Injured During Pamplona's San Fermin Bull Run
Thirteen participants were treated for injuries after a bull gored a runner in the face during Saturday's San Fermin run in Pamplona, Spain.
Thirteen people required medical attention after a bull gored a runner in the face during the Saturday morning run of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain. Six bulls and accompanying steers moved through the narrow cobblestone street, knocking participants to the ground and causing several pileups during the two-and-a-half-minute run from the pen to the bullring, where the animals will be killed later in the day.
The University of Navarra Hospital reported that one runner was pierced in the face by a horn, while twelve others suffered various injuries, including a compound ankle fracture suffered by an American visitor from Florida. Ander Etxanobe, a longtime participant from Miami Beach, said he intends to continue taking part in the tradition despite his injuries.
"By no means does a broken leg or a broken ankle, in my case, or whatever it is, break my spirit, break my corazón, my heart," Etxanobe said.
A black bull broke away from the group early in the 957-yard run and struck a person in the side of the face with its horn. Many runners appeared unaware of the approaching bulls and moved them aside rather than confronting them. The incident occurred during the fifth of eight scheduled morning runs for the eight-day festival, which marks the centenary of Ernest Hemingway's novel that popularized the event internationally.