A farming couple are urging people to take an extra few moments to assess livestock risks after their own harrowing incident involving a bull four years ago.
Carol and Richard Rettie said they were grateful for the help they received from an air ambulance crew when a typical morning turned into a life-threatening situation.
In a video interview with charity RSABI, they shared their experience in March 2019 when a bull panicked while being handled.
Carol, who runs a bull livery service with husband Richard, sustained very serious injuries – including five broken ribs and a lung puncture – and needed surgery to her eyes and ear.
Recalling what happened that day, Carol describes the bull in question as one of the quietest she had ever handled.
However, her very tranquil, normal working routine changed dramatically when she was blow drying him ahead of a visit by a prospective buyer.
“I’d washed the bull and was getting him ready for blow drying when things changed completely in just a matter of seconds,” said Carol.
“All I did was flick the drier flex to get a little more length to work with but that simple action startled him leading to me dropping the hose of the blower.
“The hose then started to snake underneath him because I couldn’t turn it off which startled him even more and I got slammed into the side against the gate multiple times.
"I remember slipping down the gate and thinking, this is it, I’m not getting out of this.”
Fortunately, there was a split second when the bull turned, allowing Carol to get out, but she doesn’t remember much after that, other than lying on the concrete unable to see and struggling to breathe.
Richard was feeding some cattle nearby when he heard Carol, ran round and immediately called 999.
“The air ambulance arrived shortly after and they were brilliant," Richard recalled.
"Given the discomfort Carol was in, there was no way she could have travelled to the hospital in an ambulance, and being flown there also cut down the travel time considerably on a busy Friday afternoon."
The couple said they were 'incredibly grateful' for the medical support they received. “I can remember the doctor who treated me on the way to Ninewells was so kind," Carol added.
"I ended up being known as ‘the bull lady’ in Ninewells and I couldn’t have been treated any better by the doctors and staff there. I am so grateful to them all."
The couple will be attending the Farmers’ Choir performance on 25 February at Perth Concert Hall to raise money for RSABI and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.
Less than 200 tickets are left and are available from Perth Concert Hall Box Office, priced at £20 plus booking fee.
