Matador escapes death by the skin of his teeth after horrific goring in Madrid bullfight

MSNBC News: Spanish matador Julio Aparicio needed two operations after he was horrifically gored through the throat during a bullfight in Madrid.
The half-ton bull, called Opiparo, struck after Julio Aparicio lost his footing and stumbled while carrying out a pass with is red cape in a packed Las Ventas bullring.
One of the animal's horns tore into his throat and punched through the bottom of his mouth as the crowd screamed in horror at the bullfight last night.(22ND May)






The force of the impact lifted the matador into the air, puncturing his tongue and fracturing his jawbone, before the bull threw him to the sand.


Fellow matadors dashed to the rescue and managed to distract the bull so medics could get to Mr Aparicio.

The 41-year-old managed to struggle to his feet, but collapsed with blood pouring down his neck and had to be carried from the ring.

He had an emergency one-hour operation in the Las Ventas medical centre, before being transfered to the October 12 Hospital in Madrid, where doctors performed an emergency tracheotomy and worked to reconstruct his jaw, tongue and the roof of his mouth during a six-hour operation.
Mr Aparicio, from Seville, comes from a well-known family of matadors. He is in a grave condition in hospital.


Evening bullfights are watched by sell-out crowds at the 25,000 seat Las Ventas bullring and are broadcast live on cable television.

Six bulls are killed in each bullfight.