A rural community in England is reeling after a beloved teacher was killed by a stampede of cattle Monday evening.
According to The The Independent, David Clark, who was an “enormous character” and “brilliant leader” at the Richmond School, died from injuries after being “stormed” by the animals. Clark was walking his dog at the time of the attack.
“Our students and their parents have been lucky to have known and been helped by him,” Richmond head teacher Jenna Potter said in a statement. “We have been privileged as a staff to have worked with him and will continue working in the same way in his memory.”
North Yorkshire Police were called to the farm Monday after reports of an injured man in his 50s in the field. Clark was identified at the scene but there are few other details about what may have caused the unlikely attack.
Clark had worked at the Richmond School since 1997 and was named deputy head in 2003.
According to the United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive, there were 43 incidents of humans being hurt or killed by cattle in 2018 and 2019 and in 18 of those incidents, a dog was present. The National Farmers’ Union recommends anyone who encounters this scenario let their dog run, because cattle will typically chase the dog, which can outrun the bovine.
Clark is the second person in the UK this year to be killed by cows.