Gored Bullfighter Battles For His Life

12:18pm UK, Monday April 26, 2010
David Williams, Sky News Online

One of Spain's top matadors is fighting for his life after being gored in the groin during a bullfight in Mexico.

Jose Tomas received a 17-pint blood transfusion after the half-tonne bull plunged one of its horns 10cm into the fighter's left thigh, puncturing a vein and an artery.

Tomas had bled so profusely that bullring officials even appealed to the crowd to come forward for transfusions if they matched his relatively rare A- blood type.

Doctors later spent three hours trying to repair a femoral artery perforated in the fight in the city of Aguascalientes.

The director of the Miguel Hidalgo hospital, Geronimo Aguayo, said Tomas had shown "slight improvement" but remains in a grave condition.

Mexican television footage showed the acclaimed fighter being caught out by a quick turn from the animal during the bout, which was being held amid celebrations for an important national festival.

The beast attacked and lifted Tomas into the air, shaking its head with the matador dangling from its sharp left horn.

Once on the ground, Tomas rolled away and held his hands up as if to say he was OK, but a large, dark red stain was already seeping through his glittering gold suit.

The 34-year-old has suffered a number of serious gorings since returning to the ring in 2007 following his surprise retirement five years previously.

His comeback was met with a tremendous fanfare in Spain, whereupon Tomas told one interviewer "living without bullfighting is not living".

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