A former army officer has spoken about how she was ‘convinced’ she was ‘going to die’ after being trampled on by a herd of cows in Mashom, Yorkshire.
Janicke Tvedt, 55, cheated death after a 30-strong herd charged towards her and her partner after fearing their Labrador was a threat.
Within minutes the mother-of-two was pushed against a fence with the cows stamping on her body, leaving her with seven broken ribs and hoof marks on her chest and legs. Janicke also needed to have part of her colon removed.
She says she went into “survival mode” and her army training helped her to escape.
After climbing a tree, Janicke was airlifted to hospital.
“I was convinced I was going to die.
“I was trying to get in contact with my son because as far as I was concerned, that was it – I wasn't going to see anyone again.
“Had there been a child or an elderly person there, they would not have survived – that’s how serious the attack was.”
Janicke Tvedt
Janicke followed instructions signposted by the farmer which said to keep dogs on leads, but she believes pets should be allowed to run free.
“What you’re supposed to do when you’re under attack by cattle is you’re supposed to let the dog off the lead and kick the dog away.
"It’s the dog that’s the issue. They see it as a predator.”
The walk Janicke went on with her partner David, 57, was one she’d taken before, but this was the first time she’d been in contact with animals in the field.
“The cow was obviously startled by us, so she bolted directly at the dog, who was on a lead. She kicked the dog, and the dog ended up rolling on the ground.
“Then loads more cows came to her defence. They pinned us against the hedge. I had the dog very tightly on the lead, which is what I thought I was supposed to do.
Having stood still for roughly 10 minutes one cow attacked the dog, Goose, again, but also knocked Janicke to the ground, leading to a stampede of cows trample her as her partner looked on.
“I was terrified. Apparently, I was shouting at the cows. But they were snorting, mooing and grunting. They were pawing their hooves on the ground.
“My abdomen was like a watermelon. It was swollen and distended and really quite solid – not normal and squishy. I was in such pain in my chest.”
After losing her mobile in the ambush, her partner was forced to run through another field to get to a golf course to ask for phone to call an ambulance, with the Yorkshire air ambulance team arriving shortly afterwards.
Janicke required emergency surgery to remove part of colon, and now has to wear a colostomy bag.
She admitted she was scared to sleep because she feared she “wouldn’t wake up”.
Despite having limitations on her ability, she hasn’t given up on improving her mobility, and joined a gym in October.
“I’ve had to accept what I can and can’t do. That’s been really hard.“
