Co Down farmer attacked by bull expected to make full recovery

A Co Down farmer attacked by a bull on Saturday is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries.
The Grove Road in Dromara where a bull attacked a farmer on SaturdayThe Grove Road in Dromara where a bull attacked a farmer on Saturday
The Grove Road in Dromara where a bull attacked a farmer on Saturday

Roger Graham from Dromara was separating a cow to replace an electronic leg tag when a bull turned on him in a passageway between pens.

Mr Graham was close to the edge of the passageway and was thrown over the fence on to a concrete yard.

The dairy farmer suffered a head injury but remained conscious long enough to raise the alarm on his mobile phone.

An air ambulance was tasked to the scene – landing in the car park of the nearby First Dromore Presbyterian Church – but Mr Graham was instead taken to Craigavon Area Hospital by conventional ambulance.

Last night, a spokeswoman for the Southern Health Trust said Mr Graham was in a “stable” condition.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) spokesperson said an investigation was now under way.

“The HSE can confirm that they are aware of an incident on a farm in the Dromara area and will be investigating the circumstances,” a spokeswoman for the HSE said.

Police have said they were made aware of an incident involving a bull at a farm in the Grove Road area of Dromara on Saturday.

“He has been taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries,” the PSNI spokesperson added.

DUP councillor Paul Rankin on his Facebook page said he was praying for the Co Down farmer who had been injured.

A family member told the News Letter that Mr Graham was always cautious around the bull but said there had been no previous similar incidents.

“A cow had lost its tag off its leg, and it can’t milk without the tag, so he was separating the cow to bring it out to put a pedometer on it and the bull just took a notion against him and threw him over the fence onto the concrete,” the relative said.

It is understood that Mr Graham is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries.

The family member said they are extremely relieved the bull threw Mr Graham over the fence and not knocked him to the ground where he would have been in greater danger.

They described the incident as “one of those things,” and said they are glad that Mr Graham always carries his mobile phone to immediately alert them of anything untoward happening.