A bullfighter was mortally wounded in front of a horrified crowd when his bare-handed stand-off in front of a 1,100lb beast went horribly wrong.
Fernando Quintela, 26, suffered irreversible internal injuries in the bullring in Moita, a district of Lisbon, Portugal, and surgeons were unable to save him.
Quintela acted as a ‘forcado’, one of a group of men who perform a traditional part of bullfights in the country.
Fernando Quintela suffered irreversible internal injuries after he was charged in the bullring
The bull charges at Quintela, trapping his body between its two horns
Their job is to challenge the bull with their bare hands, by standing in front of it and egging the animal on.
The aim is to get the bull to run towards them and one of them grabs its head whilst the others jump on top of it. They all wear traditional clothing, including a long green knitted hat.
Footage of the horrific moment shows Quintela and the bull in a standoff in the Moita do Ribatejo bullring.
He can be seen stamping his feet as the animal becomes more antagonised.
The bull then charges at Quintela, trapping his body between its two horns and tossing him to the floor, before smashing into him again.
Fellow forcados tried to pull the bullfighter free but he had already suffered severe internal injuries and bleeding.
Footage of the horrific moment shows Quintela and the bull in a standoff in the Moita do Ribatejo bullring
He was rushed to the bullring’s own infirmary but then taken on to the São José hospital in Lisbon. Surgeons were unable to reverse the internal haemorrhaging and he died a few hours later.
The bullfighter, who was born in Portugal, was a member of the Amadores de Alcochete forcado group and made his debut in France in 2008.
The association has expressed its heartbreak at his death and tributes have poured in to their Facebook site.
‘He was a warrior,’ said one mourner.
‘He was a brave and young forcado,’ said another.
A memorial service is to be held on Sunday in Alcochete.