Matador escapes death by the skin of his teeth after horrific goring in Madrid bullfight
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.
Impaled: Spanish bullfighter Julio Aparicio is gored through the throat during a packed bullfight at Las Ventas in Madrid
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.
Critical: The torero was lifted off the ground by the force of the bull's impact before being hurled to the sand floor
Shocked: Mr Aparicio had to have two emergency operations to install a tracheotomy and reconstruct his jaw and the roof of his mouth
A spokesman for the hospital said: 'He remains in the intensive care unit of the hospital, has regained consciousness and his vital signs are stable.' His father, also called Julio Aparicio, said there were no complications during the surgery. He said: 'It was a serious goring. Almost his entire mouth was destroyed. It's too early to talk of recovery, we must wait and see.'
The injury happened as Mr Aparicio was attempting the faena, a series of passes in which he uses his cape and sword before delivering the death blow - or estocada. It is not known what has happened to the bull.
Horrific: The bullfighter loses his footing and slips to the sandy floor before the half-ton bull gores him through the throat
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.
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