A traditional festival celebration ended in horror when a father was fatally attacked during a bull-running event in southern Spain.
According to the New York Post, Santiago Barrero San Román, 33, was participating in festivities tied to the San Marcos Festival when a bull turned violent, launching a relentless assault that witnesses say unfolded in seconds but left lasting devastation.
The incident occurred on Calle Palomares, a stretch locals grimly refer to as the “street of hell” due to the intensity and danger associated with its bull runs.
Video circulating online captured the moment the animal lifted San Román into the air before repeatedly goring him.
Despite frantic attempts from nearby revelers to intervene, the attack continued.
Several people tried to control the bull by pulling on a rope attached to its horns, while others scrambled for safety behind barriers.
San Román was eventually pinned against a fence as the animal continued to strike.
He suffered catastrophic injuries to his abdomen, chest, and groin. He was rushed to a hospital but later died from his wounds.
The loss has sent shockwaves through his community. San Román, part of a well-known cattle-breeding family, is survived by his young daughter and his wife, Vanesa, who is pregnant with their second child.
In a message shared publicly, his wife expressed her grief.
“You are the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me,” she wrote. “From the moment I wake up until I go to sleep, you are my first and last thought.”
“You are everything to me, to our daughters. I hope you give me strength and accompany me every day of my life, every step of the way, because I swear I will never stop thinking about you, about our dreams, our plans, our life together.”
Her words reflected the depth of the loss felt not only by his family but by those who knew him.
“I’m broken for life because life has taken you from me unjustly and far too soon, because you had your whole life ahead of you with everything you had achieved,” she continued.
“Your girls, your mother, your best friends, and everyone in the bullfighting world who truly loved you are devastated, but we will always keep you in our hearts, my love.”
The fatal incident came just days after another high-profile goring involving famed matador Morante de la Puebla, underscoring the ongoing dangers tied to bull-running traditions that continue to draw participants despite the risks.
