Woman recounts moment she was trampled by cow in the Yorkshire Dales

A holidaymaker who was trampled by a cow in a field in North Yorkshire has told how she feared she was going to die.

Stella Collins, 60, was walking in Ribblesdale with her husband Geoff when she was attacked.

She said she was "catapulted in the air" after being charged by the animal.

"While I was under the cow and it was stamping all over me I could hear Geoff screaming, absolutely screaming, with such anguish in his voice, that I thought 'I'm going to die'," she said.

After initially managing to get to her feet as the cow turned its attentions to her husband, she was knocked to the ground again.

"Again I was catapulted into the air, and this time she just stamped and stamped and stamped," she said.

"Geoff said it was like I was being tossed around like a rag doll."

Her husband managed to call for help, and fell and cave rescuers as well as ground and air ambulances arrived to attend to Mrs Collins, who is from Tonbridge, Kent.

The rescue was filmed for the Really Channel series Helicopter ER.

In the footage taken at the scene, Mr Collins could be heard recounting what had happened.

He said: "It was a shock seeing Stella being rolled over and not being able to do anything about it."

Mrs Collins was airlifted to Preston hospital, a 15-minute flight away, instead of being driven by road, which would have taken over an hour.

She suffered serious injuries including broken ribs and severe soft tissue damage and said her gluteal muscles were "torn away" from her bones.

Since the attack, she has undergone extensive physiotherapy, specialist treatment and had psychological help for post-traumatic stress disorder.

She said: "I still get it but I don't react so much now unless it's a stressful situation like someone else's dog running up to me."

Mrs Collins described herself as "super-active" before the accident, playing multiple sports on a regular basis. Now she's had to stop it all as it aggravates her injuries every time she plays.

"I can do walking and that's it," she said.

Warning other outdoor enthusiasts about her experience, Mrs Collins said she wants people to be "very clear" about where cows are and how they seem to be acting.

"I never realised cows could be so aggressive," she said. "I know they had their calves but we were nowhere near them, we weren't pestering them in any shape of form.

"Always have a phone with you and have the What3Words app," she said. "If you do need [emergency services], that can pinpoint exactly where you are.

"I personally won't walk in a field of cows again."

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