When they say tomorrow is truly never promised, they sure aren’t kidding; sometimes even the most innocent of activities can be the catalyst of a tragic butterfly effect. Sadly, for retired nurse Rebecca Jane Hitchings, the decision to walk her dog was just that.
According to the Mirror, it was determined during an inquest in Devon that Hitchings was walking her dog on Exmoor in the United Kingdom when she was trampled by a herd of cows. Senior Devon coroner Philip Spinney said the woman was discovered in a field covered in significant injuries received from the herd. She was found alive and was airlifted to Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital, but medics were unable to save her.
People noted that her official cause of death was listed as “hemorrhagic shock,” which is caused by blunt force trauma. Sadly, there is no update on how the dog is doing after the attack.
People online were quick to share their thoughts about the misconceptions many have about cows, especially in herds.
“I am a walker often go on guided walks through cow fields with no dogs,” wrote one follower of the BBC’s Facebook page. “They are fast, inquisitive and if the herd moves together it is quite a force. I was at the back of walk about to shut a gate and a herd came from no where. I would not underestimate them or walk with a dog near.”
“I remember being surrounded by a bunch of cows,” shared another commenter on the page. “They appeared very quickly. My dog ran ahead and left me. I don’t think they meant me harm just very curious but of course they are big heavy animals and could have easily trampled me if i had fallen.”
“When I was very young, my mother and I were chased by a momma cow protecting her new calf,” confessed another Facebook commenter. “We had to run then stop, drop and roll under the fence to get away. Mom was giving me orders as we were running. Very scary! I was about 5 at the time.”
Cow trampling has become a pressing issue in the UK, ever since 84,600 new settlers fled to the countryside in 2019 and 2020, McClarrons noted on its website. Of several attacks reported between 1993 and 2013, 24% resulted in fatalities.
Although some cows are adorable, thinking of them as “harmless” could be life-threatening, the website noted. Typically, cows were triggered by sounds or movements that were too sudden, and cows saw unleashed pets as potential threats, especially if their calves were around.
