A Spanish Bullfighter Was Gored To Death On Live TV
Score one for the bulls: It’s first Spanish matador to die in the arena in more than 30 years.
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The last time a bullfighter died in the ring, Victor Barrio wasn’t even born yet. On Saturday, Barrio, 29, became the first Spanish bullfighter to lose his life on the wrong end of his quarry’s horns in 30 years. The Daily Mail reported the that the tragedy played out on a live broadcast with Barrio’s wife Raquel looking on.
Barrio was in the ring in Teruel in the northeastern Aragon region of Spain up against a 1,166-pound bull, reported the AP, when the raging beast gored him first in the leg, then in his chest. The chest wound was fatal, the bull’s horn puncturing Barrio’s heart and lungs. Though Barrio received immediate emergency medical treatment, the wounds were just too severe.
As strange as it may seem to those unfamiliar with bullfighting, Barrio’s tragic death made him an instant legend—bullfighters consider it an honor to die in the ring. This brief video from True.Ink explains a little about why.
Spain’s acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy Brey, tweeted his sympathies.
Mis condolencias a la familia y los compañeros de Víctor Barrio, torero fallecido está tarde en Teruel. Descanse en paz. MR
— Mariano Rajoy Brey (@marianorajoy) July 9, 2016
“My condolences to the family and the friends of Victor Barrio,” Brey wrote, “The torero who died this afternoon in Teruel. Rest in peace.”
h/t AP, Daily Mail