Man 'played dead' after cows trampled him on Carmarthenshire coastal path

A man says he had to "play dead" in order to survive being trampled by cows as he walked along a coastal footpath.

Retired clergyman Glyn Austin was walking on the Wales Coast Path in Carmarthenshire on Friday 1 September, when he says a herd of cows "charged" at him.

The 71-year-old was walking to his father-in-law's house with his dogs, both of which were on leads, when he noticed the cows blocking a section of the path known locally as Bank y Lord, near the A484 between Kidwelly and Pembrey.

"I had two dogs with me so I didn’t want to go near the cattle so I went around the edge," he said.

"I thought I was far enough away, my dogs weren’t barking and were both on a lead, but they just came towards me and charged me – maybe 15 of them.

"Each time I tried to get up they knocked me over again and trampled me. I then just pretended I was dead."

Mr Austin described the experience as a "blur", recalling how he could hear the cows as they moved around him and how he did not want to open his eyes in case they attacked again.

"I thought they were going to stop as they got nearer but they just didn’t – it’s as if it happened in slow motion," he said.

"I was lying there, pretending to be dead, and I could hear them standing there breathing. I thought my time was up."

Another man working nearby was alerted by Mr Austin's dogs' barking.

The man - Austin Bevan - was able to scare the cows away as Mr Austin continued to lie on the ground.

A Wales Air Ambulance helicopter from Dafen arrived at the scene shortly after and Mr Austin was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where he stayed for six nights.

He sustained six broken ribs, including one which was broken in two places, and bruising to other parts of his body.Mr Austin is now recovering from his injuries at home and says he feels lucky to be alive.

However, his distress over the incident was heightened after hearing of a woman in Powys who was attacked by cows while walking her dogs on the same day.

Tragically, she did not survive.

Mr Austin has spoken of his admiration for the man who helped him, the Wales Air Ambulance, and the medics who treated him at the hospital.

He said staff there said it was not unusual for patients to be admitted to hospital with injuries following attacks by cattle."It’s very scary," he added. "We have a right to walk on this path. We are not talking about somewhere in the middle of nowhere where nobody ever goes – it’s the Wales Coast Path and it’s sold as an attraction in Wales.

"We’ve just finished the school holidays and it could have been worse – it could have been children. It’s definitely changed my thoughts about walking near cows. My wife won’t go near cows but I always thought: ‘I’ll be okay – it’ll be fine’. I know better now."Mr Austin has reported the attack to the Health and Safety Executive.

A spokesman for the government agency said: "We are aware of an incident and are currently making inquiries."

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