Award-winning bullfighter, Victor Barrio, was gored to death on Spanish Live TV on Saturday, July 9th.
Barrio, a 29-year-old professional matador from Segovia was competing in a fight in Teruel, Aragon in eastern Spain when the bull pierced his chest.
Spectators, including his wife of two years, Raquel Sanz, 32, witnessed his death at the festival Feria del Angel.
In fact, his father, Quinito, as well as relatives and friends were all there to watch him fight the bull, according to the International Business Times.
The 1218-pound Los Maños bred bull, Lorenzo, first flipped Barrio over with a horn. He then laid helplessly on the ground as Lorenzo continued to gore him, puncturing his lung and severing his aorta.
His colleagues attempted to distract the bull to get him out of the ring. Finally, he was taken to the hospital unconscious.
However, doctors couldn’t do anything to save him, the Daily Mail reported. It also said an initial medical report conducted by Dr. Ana Cristina Martinez Utrillas said Barrio was already in cardiac arrest when he got to the hospital.
Shortly afterwards, the festival was suspended, according to the Independent.
http://twitter.com/Daudoo/status/752199869343883264?lang=en
His death is the first of a matador’s in nearly 30 years, according to BBC. Jose Cubero, also known as Yiyo, was the last matador to die in the bullring in 1985.
Gracias a todos. No puedo contestaros, no tengo palabras. Se ha ido mi vida, no tengo fuerzas, pero sí mucho agradecimiento #SoyBarriera
— Raquel Sanz (@raquelsanz) July 10, 2016
Barrio’s widow, who had to be treated for shock, expressed her grief on Twitter. She tweeted, “Thank you all. I can not answer you, I have no words. My life is gone, I have no strength, but much thanks #SoyBarriera.”
Moreover, Barrio’s hometown, Sepúlveda, has called for two days of official mourning for the matador.
On Monday, 3,000 people lined the streets to watch his coffin return home.
On the other hand, while Lorenzo was already slaughtered, the fate of Lorenzo’s mother is unknown. The tradition is to “kill off the bloodline” by slaughtering the mother of the bull. But according to The Telegraph, a Spanish newspaper reported that she already died a few days ago of old age.
Nevertheless, a campaign was launched to save her, reported the Independent.
In addition, it said a petition was set up by PACMA, a political party in Spain advocating for animal rights. Their designated hashtag is #SalvemosALorenza, which means “save Lorenzo.”
In a Facebook post, the group said, “No rite, tradition, or custom based on a succession of deaths, fed by blood and hatred, it cannot be good for any society.”
