An 85-year-old man from Vienna died after he and his 82-year-old wife were reportedly trampled by a herd of cows while hiking in Austria.
Local police said the couple were hiking with their dog along a forest path in Ramsau am Dachstein, Styria when they encountered multiple cows, according to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine and Swiss outlet Blick.
Witnesses said the herd, which included three calves and mother cows, were likely startled by the couple’s dog, Blick reported.
The pair were flown to a hospital in Salzburg via helicopter to be treated but the man later succumb to his injuries before he could undergo surgery, AFP reported. However, the woman is in stable condition after also being injured.
The man’s cause of death is pending an autopsy, Blick reported citing State Police Directorate.
Cow attacks previously prompted by dogs
Dangerous and occasionally fatal confrontations with cows are a common occurence during mountain hikes in Austria often prompted by dog, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine. The outlet reported that cows can percieve dogs as a threat.
In 2024, a woman walking with two small dogs was killed by a cow herd in the Salzburg, AFP reported.
Austria established a code of conduct in 2019 with guidelines for hikers instructing them to maintain a safe distance from cows and walk dogs on a short lead. The guidelines also advises dog owners hiking to release their pet or pets if approached by a hostile cow herd to protect their own safety, according to Reuters.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hiker dies after cows trample couple walking dog in Austrian Alps
