A woman trampled to death by “docile” cows in a small English village sent a photo of the animals to her mother just moments before the fatal incident.
Rebekah Morris was walking her dog through a field of cows when she was left with fatal injuries “consistent with hoof marks,” according to BBC reporting on the unfolding inquest.
Documents reveal the 29-year-old sent a photo of the herd with the message, “Cowz,” to her mother just before 9 p.m in July 2022.
When Morris failed to respond to further messages, her parents went to the scene of the photo, where they found their daughter who went into cardiac arrest and died within hours.
At the Leicester Town Hall hearing, it was revealed that warning signs had been placed by the farm owner, Don Hutton, to alert dog walkers about the livestock in the field.
The location of Morris’ body when she was found indicated that she strayed from the designated footpath. Still, the tragedy came as a surprise to the Huttons.
Guy Hutton, the farm owner’s son, said the cows had “always acted in a docile manner.”
“I have never known the cattle to stampede. The closest I have seen them is when they are released on to grass and they frolic,” Hutton explained. “They are easy-going and I have no concern about their temperament. Lots of people use the footpath.”
Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Biggs performed Morris’s post-mortem examination, stating that the fatal injuries were likely caused by a single cow in what appeared to be a “relatively brief incident.”
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
