Surviving a Trampling by Vicious Cows: Why People Still Aren’t Listening to the Dangers

A farmer’s daughter who was almost trampled to death by a herd of cows has warned that many people remain oblivious to the dangers posed by the normally docile animals.

Libby James was airlifted to hospital after being attacked by a group of the animals while walking with her husband Ger and their dog Arti in 2014.

The trio had been trekking along the Offa’s Dyke National Trail on the Welsh border when they were suddenly set upon by a herd of cattle, with the animals headbutting her to the ground before stomping her unconscious.

She was fortunate to escape with her life after her husband was able to carry her free, with medics describing her injuries as being like those received by car crash victims.

Since then Ms James has dedicated her time to raising awareness of attacks by ‘killer cows’, with shocking figures showing that in the past eight years at least 38 people have died in encounters with the herbivores.

Speaking to the Mail, Ms James said she was not a novice when it came to being around the animals, but that still didn’t prevent them attacking her. 

‘My father taught me to walk through a field of cows,’ she said.

‘I strolled confidently through the field and when the herd approached I raised my hands and bellowed “Go back”.’

But when Ms James turned around to check on her husband, she realised she’d been encircled by the herd.

Suddenly, the cattle charged and battered her to the ground before trampling her and breaking her jaw in the process.

Ms James said: ‘It was just the shock of being headbutted. The force knocked me down, I thought, get up.

‘And then this lovely thing did it again and again and again, and in the end I couldn’t get up because I thought “I’m going to pass out”.

‘I was thinking “this is it, I’m going to die”. 

‘I looked up and all I could see were lots of hooves, not just the one that was attacking me, but all of the others about to come down on me, and at that point I passed out.’ 

She was later airlifted to hospital and likened it to a ‘car accident’ as she also suffered multiple ribs broken, collapsed lungs, bleeding into both lungs and was left needing extensive dental treatment as well.

Since then Ms James has set up campaign group Cows On Walkers Safety (COWS), which runs the website ‘Killer Cows’ and has received more than 900 reports of cattle incidents since 2017.

According to the latest available figures from the Health and Safety Executive, 62 people were killed by cows in the past ten years.

Following her experience, she admitted the number of reports made to her website is ‘entirely expected’ and is ‘just the tip of the iceberg’. 

Around 32 per cent said they suffered some sort of injury whether that be minor, significant or serious. Five of the incidents reported to the group said the encounter resulted in death. 

The group is calling for fencing for all public footpaths in fields where cows are kept to separate them from walkers on National Trails as well as the creation of a national database of cow attacks.

Among those who have lost their lives to the animals is Pamela Joyce Barnwell, who was found lying on the ground with serious injuries after being charged at by a herd of cows on October 21.

An inquest into the death of the 88-year-old, who was still working as a legal archivist despite her age, revealed she was rushed to hospital but died from multiple traumatic injuries, including a pelvic haemorrhage, the following day.

In August an unnamed 55-year-old woman was found ‘covered in blood’ after being trampled by a herd of 30 cows while walking her dog near Billinghurst in West Sussex. 

In November last year, Huw Edwards 75-year-old walker was killed in Whitland, Carmarthenshire, by a rampaging cow that had escaped from a livestock market.

The cow, a brown Limousin breed, escaped while being unloaded from a trailer at Whitland Mart where a livestock market operated by JJ Morris Auctioneers was taking place.

The cow then ran down the main road to the centre of Whitland, a short distance away and attacked Mr Evans despite attempts by people to contain it.

Trains were stopped when the animal made its way onto rail track in the area, before it was put down in a nearby field.

And in May 2022,  Sharon Eley was surrounded by 20 cows leaving her fearing for her life as she walked her five-year old Lhasa Apso called Ralphie.

The herd was led by an agitated ‘ringleader’ which threw her to the ground twice before repeatedly headbutting her, leaving her with 15 broken ribs, a punctured lung, a dislocated and shattered ankle and a broken clavicle.

In July 2022,  Becki Morris was walking her dog, Zero in Littlethorpe, Leicestershire and fatally strayed from the path.

The 29-year-old was in a field close to her home when she came across a heard of 18 cows who trampled her to death.

In her last moments, she sent her mother an image of the field with the caption ‘cowz’. 

Dog walker Janicke Tvedt was left with seven broken ribs and devastating internal injuries after the rampaging beasts crushed her during a country stroll.

The 57-year-old was on a popular walk in Masham, Yorkshire, with her friend David Hood and Labrador, goose, and were using a public footpath to cut through a field full of cows and calves, when they were attacked.

She was helped up by Mr Hood but the horrified pair were then forced to scramble up a tree to escape after being surrounded by 15 of the animals. 

Ms Tvedt was airlifted to hospital suffering seven broken ribs, hoof marks on her chest and legs, a broken thumb, and life-changing internal injuries that required emergency surgery.

Out of the 991 reports to COWS, 96 per cent of walkers said incidents occurred on a public footpath. And 84 per cent of people said that no warning signs were seen.  

Ms James is calling for footpaths to be fenced off and cattle to be separated from public rights of way if fencing is not possible.

‘The footpaths were there before the farmers came on board. So the farms were established over the footpath network,’ she said.

‘The footpath network is wonderful, it keeps us in touch with nature and keeps people fit, and being able to access the countryside without the need to for an expensive gym or anything like that. 

‘So we need the footpaths, but we need them to be safe. People have a right to walk on those footpaths. It is indelibly laid down in law.

‘But actually, if you put cows in a field and you are no longer safe to walk through that field. You are blocking that footpath, and that is illegal. 

‘And that is something that people don’t realise yet.’

Signposts for alternative routes would also be ‘completely acceptable’ and help reduced the number of incidents, Ms James added.

Only 13 per cent of the reports made to the action group are currently being investigated by officials. However, 57 per cent of people admitted to not making an official report. 

Overall, 53 per cent of people said they didn’t have a dog with them.  

Out of those who had a dog with them (470 incidents), 25 said their dog was injured and four said their dog was killed. 

The majority of incidents happened by lone walkers at 43 per cent while 41 per cent of reports came  when walkers were in a group of two. Reports dramatically dropped to 14 per cent for groups of three to five people. 

The data was further broken down for 103 respondents who reported broken bones, concussion requiring hospital observation, punctured lungs, rupture of internal organs, coma or death.

More seriously injured victims were more likely to be walking with a dog and more likely to be alone.

Ms James added that it is not just walkers they are trying to protect. 

‘A lot of those deaths are farmers or farm workers. It’s dreadful,’ she said.

‘So it isn’t just walkers that we want to protect. I know fences won’t protect farmers, but farmers need to realise that that cow that they brought up from birth and they think is lovely can change at the drop of a hat, and if it gets angsty and lashes out. 

‘It weighs half a ton, and it can kill you, and and I think they forget that, and they just walk through the fields as though. Oh, they’re just little pets and they’re not. 

‘Cows are not pets. They shouldn’t be treated as such.’ 

She urged anyone who has had a ‘near miss’ to report it to the authorities to allow them to crackdown on the issue.

‘A lot of farmers are in agreement,’ she added but admitted that some are on the breadline with funding unavailable to put fences in place.

She said: ‘I know there are some areas where farmers are really struggling and not managing, and perhaps there needs to be some way of helping those farmers manage this situation from the public purse.’

The National Farmers’ Union Vice President Rachel Hallos said: ‘As farmers we welcome public access to the countryside, it’s a great way for people to see where their food comes from and offers mental and physical wellbeing benefits. 

‘I would encourage visitors to remember that it is a working environment and should be enjoyed safely, in accordance with the Countryside Code.

‘Thankfully, incidents involving the public and livestock in the countryside are rare, and there are simple ways that people can remain safe and vigilant, such as not walking in between a calf and a cow, as well as keeping dogs under effective control and in sight on leads around animals. 

‘The Countryside Code’s advice remains to let go of the lead if you feel threatened by cattle.’

A spokesperson for Countryside Alliance said: ‘The countryside is a living and working environment and those who work and use it must ensure they do their bit to safeguard the general public and that livestock in the fields are kept safe. 

‘Farmers have a legal responsibility to manage their livestock to reduce the risk to people using footpaths but those using the countryside also have a responsibility for their own safety, by being respectful to livestock and following The Countryside Code. 

‘The Countryside Code gives guidance and advice to members of the public including giving livestock plenty of space, keeping your dog under control and on a lead but letting it off the lead if you feel threatened.

‘There are sadly multiple reports annually of people getting either seriously hurt or worse killed, by cows. 

‘We would urge anyone visiting the countryside to stick to the designated footpaths. England and Wales have 140,000 miles of designated footpaths and as those of us who use them regularly know, this network gives extraordinary access to the countryside and most rights of way are rarely used.

‘Should you come into contact with cows along the way, it is best to be cautious, particularly around mothers with calves. 

‘Like all animals, cows are naturally defensive of their young and it is important you do not approach them. 

‘When crossing a field, it is worth waiting just by the entrance of the fence to see how cows respond to your presence before making a move and when walking do so quietly and quickly, without making any sudden movements. 

‘Animal welfare organisations have suggested giving cows a round of applause and shouting in cases where you feel threatened and marking out the closest exit, even if that means going back. 

‘If you are walking a dog, ensure it is kept on a lead and always make sure you securely close any gates you must open along the way.’

Livestock owners are liable for damages caused to property by straying livestock. 

Damages caused to people often depend on individual circumstances and are assessed individually by the courts, although farmers are expected to carry out risk assessments and put up appropriate signage.

Where a farmer has failed to implement reasonable safety measures, they can also be liable for prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive.

One farming company has been charged over the death of a primary school teacher who was trampled to death by a cow while walking along a public bridle path.

Marian Clode, 61, had been staying at a holiday cottage at Swinhoe Farm, near Belford, Northumberland, when she was suddenly killed during the Easter holidays on April 3, 2016.

An inquest later heard she died of a cardiac arrest, and brain and severe spinal injuries, after 15 cows and their calves surged from a holding pen onto the path where she was walking.

J M Nixon & Son, which is based at Swinhoe Farm, pleaded not guilty to charge of failing to ensure the health and safety of persons other than employees.

It is alleged that it failed to ensure that people, who were not in their employment, were not exposed to risks to their health and safety from the movement of cattle. A trial is set to take place on November 27, 2023. 

In February, 2022, a farmer was fined £900 after his herd of cows trampled an 82-year-old pensioner to death in front of his horrified wife during a walk in the Yorkshire Dales.

Farmer Christopher Paul Sharp, 50, was also given a 12 week suspended sentence after 20 of his cattle mowed down retired teacher David Tinniswood MBE on May 30, 2020.

Mr Tinniswood had been walking his two border terriers, Bracken and Rusty, with his wife Carol when the herd ‘attacked’ them on a public pathway through Sharp’s land near the Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire.

Mr Tinniswood, a father of two, was sent flying into the air before suffering fatal abdominal injuries during the 10-minute ordeal. He sadly died at the scene.

In 2016, 83-year-old Wiltshire farmer Brian Godwin was given a 12-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay costs of £30,000 at Swindon Crown Court after admitting a breach of his general duty to control his livestock.

Retired professor Mike Porter, 66, was trampled to death as he and his brother John walked their dogs along a footpath which crossed Godwin’s field at Turleigh, near Bradford-upon-Avon, in May 2013.

The court heard Godwin’s 31-strong herd of Limousin cattle were a particularly aggressive crossbreed and had attacked ramblers on four occasions previously. Godwin had twice been warned by the Health and Safety Executive.

In 2008, a woman who was trampled by a herd of cows as she crossed a field successfully sued a farmer for £1 million.

Shirley McKaskie, 54, a company director, was walking her Jack Russell terrier on her way to a pub in the village of Greystoke, near Penrith, Cumbria, when she was injured.

She had strayed a short distance from the footpath and was trampled by the herd of 40 Simmental-cross beef cows, which included 21 calves.

The farmer, John Cameron, found her unconscious in his field and carried her to his farmhouse before she was taken to hospital.

Her injuries included fractured ribs, multiple soft-tissue injuries and a hairline fracture of the skull which required emergency surgery.

Although the Health and Safety Executive took no action, Ms McKaskie, who was confined to a wheelchair after the attack, was successful in her civil claim.

HSE Principal Inspector Wayne Owen said: ‘Farmers have a legal responsibility to manage their herds to reduce risk, as far as reasonably practicable, to people using footpaths and other rights of way.

‘All large animals can be a risk to people. Even a gentle knock from a cow can result in people being crushed or falling. All cattle should be treated with respect.

‘HSE provides guidance to farmers and landowners on cattle and public access in England and Wales, and in Scotland.

‘Members of the public can find out about steps to safely enjoy the countryside and respect farming activities by following Government advice in The Countryside Code.’