An elderly man died after a herd of cows trampled him and his wife while they were walking their dog in the Austrian Alps. The incident occurred near a mountain hut in Ramsau am Dachstein, Styria province, on Sunday afternoon. Witnesses suggested that the couple’s dog may have startled the cattle.
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Local police confirmed that nine cows, including three calves, charged the couple, causing severe injuries. Other hikers and staff at the nearby hut rushed to give first aid before emergency services were called. The man was taken to a hospital in Salzburg, where he died before surgery could be performed, while his wife remained in stable condition.
Authorities are investigating the incident, and an autopsy will establish the precise cause of death. Although fatal cow attacks are rare, they do occur in Austria, where free-grazing livestock share popular hiking trails with tourists. Dogs can sometimes be perceived as a threat, startling the animals.
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Previous incidents have prompted the Austrian government to issue safety guidelines for hikers. In 2019, advice was published recommending that dogs be kept on short leads or released if cows become aggressive. The measures followed earlier fatalities, including a German tourist killed by cows in Tyrol in 2014, which resulted in substantial damages awarded to the family.
