Plumber to rescue as steer attacks
Cyclist sent flying by enraged animal, writes Sally Wenley.
A plumber’s quick thinking is being credited with saving several cyclists from serious injuries when they were attacked by a bull on a rural road.
Bevan Gully was on his way to a job north of Havelock North in the Hawke’s Bay when he witnessed the aggressive beast charging at cyclists last week.
‘‘I saw a steer that had got separated from the rest having a crack at a couple of fellas on their bikes. One guy was up against the fence and another was lying on the ground.’’
The animal had its head down and was about to have another charge at the man on the ground.
Gully said it was a ‘‘pretty s... situation’’ for the cyclist under attack.
‘‘So I started beeping my horn and just kept driving at the steer. I gave it a good solid hit with the middle of my bull bars. Afterwards I had to laugh as it’s not often you get to use your bull bars to run into a bull.’’
The impact bent Gully’s bull bars – but he wasn’t too worried.
Simon Wenley had been cycling through the herd when the bull became agitated and started running along the road.
‘‘I was going like the clappers on my e-bike trying to get past it as we were riding through a cutting and there was nowhere to escape to on either side of the road.
‘‘It was running beside me like in a race and suddenly ‘bang’ it turned into me.’’
Wenley reckons he must have been dazed after hitting the road as he didn’t recall the bull making several more attempts to bunt him, or that Gully came to his rescue.
‘‘The plumber was the unsung hero, and when I spoke to him later he was really kind and understanding. If he hadn’t been there it could have been a lot worse for us,’’ said Wenley, who’s been nursing bruises and grazes from last week’s attack.
But the ute didn’t stop the bull. After running down one cyclist and narrowly missing another, it then took off down the road towards two other stationary cyclists.
‘‘It was pretty gruesome and hard-core what happened.
‘‘The steer picked up speed and targeted the woman front-on. She just froze then boom! She flew up in the air.’’
Gully jumped back in his ute and drove to where the woman was lying and parked beside her.
‘‘She was conscious but not moveable. And I thought her injuries looked pretty bad.’’
An ambulance was called and she spent four days in hospital with a seriously injured leg.
Gully is modest about intervening, saying it was a natural thing to do and he’s pleased no-one was more seriously hurt.
‘‘It’s just bad luck the steer got so angry.’’
The Hastings District Council, and Hawkes Bay Regional Council say farmers are expected to adhere to the New Zealand Transport Agency rules when moving stock on public roads which includes providing due care to any other road users.
The farmer who was moving the herd of cattle declined to comment about the incident.