The 12 gored runners and the other 52 who suffered severe traumatic injuries over the eight Running of the Bulls events of Sanfermin 2016 almost totaled a new record for runners receiving hospital treatment in the different hospitals of the Navarra Hospital Complex. Finally, all of them have now been discharged from hospital and have returned to their own countries and cities to receive further treatment. While some are not fully recovered just yet, they do have a great story to relate about their experiences of the Sanfermin fiestas.
The last to be discharged was Sergio Perucha, a 34-year-old man from Valencia who was gravely wounded by one of the bulls from the Pedraza de Yeltes bull-ranch. He received a 12-centimeter goring to his neck which cut his windpipe and the hyoid cartilage. Without a doubt, this goring was one of the most serious ones of the Runnings of the Bulls this year. Not a second could be lost once the goring was made and so he was taken immediately to the small infirmary inside the bull ring to be operated on, before being transferred later that same morning to the Navarra Hospital Complex. His progress has been very good and he is now in his native city of Valencia where he is making a complete recovery.
Another of the most serious gorings occurred on the 13th of July, when the Núñez del Cuvillo bull-ranch ran. A North-American, aged 39 and a resident of New Jersey, received a goring to his left thigh after one of the bulls first charged into a group of runners gathered at the fencing and the bull then gored the fallen runner on the ground. However, the American left the hospital later that same day after receiving treatment.
Curiously enough, neither of those two runners ran on the most dangerous morning of this year’s bullrunnings. The feared Cebada Gago bull-ranch proved to be the most dangerous bull-breed by far and these bulls made a total of 7 gorings and also caused another 9 severe traumatic injuries to the runners that morning of the second Running of the Bulls. The most spectacular goring featured a 23-year-old Indian at the curve of Mercaderes when the animal tossed him high with its horns and the runner fell heavily to the ground causing a severe back injury as well as receiving a 12-centimeter goring to his leg. This man from India was discharged from hospital four days later and was able to return to his country.
