Terrifying moment festival-goer is gored in the groin during Spanish bull running event 

A reveller has seemingly cheated death after being mauled by a bull during an annual Spanish festival in which three others died after being gored in under 24 hours.

Incredible video footage shows how the bare-chested man was trampled and pinned down for almost half a minute by the incensed animal, its horns missing his head and stomach by mere inches.

Other runners were seen jumping around the bull, manically waving their arms in an attempt to redirect its attention and persuade it away from its prey, to no avail. 

But the man eventually managed to wriggle free from under the animal, sprinted away and dove into the sea to escape what looked to be almost certain death.

Local reports said he was later taken to hospital having suffered a gore injury to his groin, as well as other minor cuts and bruises, but miraculously avoided any serious life-threatening injuries despite succumbing to the beast’s clutches for almost half a minute. 

The shock incident happened on Thursday afternoon during an annual event in the Costa Blanca resort of Moraira near Benidorm known as the Bous a la Mar, which directly translates as Bulls in the Sea.

Incredible video footage shows how the bare-chested man was trampled and pinned down for almost half a minute by the incensed animal, its horns missing his head and stomach by mere inches

Other revellers reacted by running round the bull and waving their arms to try to get its attention and persuade it to charge at them instead

A bull makes participants of the running of the bulls fall into the sea during the ‘Bous a la Mar’ festival

Runners dive into the sea to avoid the charging animals, but some sustain serious or even fatal injuries

Participants taunt and run from the bull and try to make it fall into the sea during the ‘Bous a la Mar’ festival

A temporary bull ring is set up in an enclosed arena by the marina quayside and bulls let loose with revellers taunting the animals and diving into the water or climbing on platforms to avoid being charged and gored.

On Wednesday it emerged three people had died in just 24 hours after being gored by bulls at other festivals in the area.

It was also confirmed a 56-year-old man had lost his fight for life in hospital after being rushed to intensive care with head and gore injuries on July 12 from an event in Picassent near the east coast city of Valencia.

The local town hall said it had decreed a day of mourning after learning of the man’s death.

One day prior, a 50-year-old man named Josep Antoni Garcia Arnau died at another Valencia hospital from injuries he suffered after being hurled into the air by a bull at a festival in Meliana, a 40-minute drive north of Picassent.

He was diagnosed with seven broken ribs, one of which is said to have penetrated one of his lungs and caused a build-up of blood and fluid which eventually claimed his life.

A boy leans against the fence to watche a bullfight during the ‘Bous a la Mar’ festival

A bull charges a participant in the running of the bulls during the ‘Bous a la Mar’ festival

Several people died this week after being gored by bulls in multiple bull running events across Spain

On Monday it was confirmed a Frenchman aged 64 had died in hospital nine days after being gored during an annual festival in Pedreguer on the Costa Blanca a half-hour drive from Moraira.

All three men had been taking part in annual events known locally as Bous Al Carrer, which translates as Bulls on the Street.

The long-held traditions were cancelled at the height of the coronavirus pandemic but the Spanish festival calendar is now back to normal.

The famous San Fermin festival in the northern city of Pamplona, known internationally as the Running of the Bulls, was held for the first time in two years earlier this month.

No-one was killed but several revellers suffered gore injuries along the half-mile course through the old town as they tried to outrun the bulls before they were guided into pens at the back of the bullring.