A young woman named Rebekah Morris, who was just 29 years old, tragically lost her life after being trampled by a herd of cows.
Before the accident, Rebekah had taken a moment to snap a picture of the cows while out for a walk with her small Chihuahua, Zero.
She sent the photo to her mother, playfully captioning it “cowz.”
This seemingly innocent moment turned into a nightmare when she stopped responding to her family’s messages.
A Call for Help
Growing increasingly worried, Rebekah’s parents rushed to the fields depicted in her photograph.
Sadly, when they arrived, they found her seriously injured.
Emergency services were immediately called to the scene, but despite their efforts, she went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead that evening in Littlethorpe, Leicestershire.
The incident took place on July 9, 2022, and an inquest into her death opened at Leicester Coroner’s Court.
Inquest Details and Findings
During the inquest, it was revealed that Rebekah sent the photo shortly before 9 PM.
Witnesses, including a local farmer named Guy Hutton, attempted to perform CPR on her while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
Initially, there were concerns that she might have been attacked or strangled, but the investigation took a different turn when forensic pathologist Michael Biggs presented his findings.
Dr. Biggs informed the court that Rebekah, affectionately known as Becki by her loved ones, had sustained serious injuries from the trampling.
He reported “hoofprints” on her chest and shoulder, as well as significant damage to her liver, which ultimately caused her death due to internal bleeding.
According to Dr. Biggs, the nature of her injuries suggested she was trampled by a cow rather than multiple animals.
He noted that the injuries were consistent with a brief encounter with one cow, rather than a larger, chaotic incident.
Investigating the Circumstances
Although there was enough reason to conduct a forensic post-mortem examination to rule out foul play, Dr. Biggs concluded that all evidence pointed to a livestock-related accident.
He stated that there were no injuries indicating the involvement of another person and emphasized that the type of injuries were typical of being trampled by a large animal.
Furthermore, toxicology reports indicated traces of alcohol and medications in Rebekah’s system at the time of the incident; however, Dr. Biggs clarified that these substances did not pose a dangerous combination.
The inquest is expected to unfold over five days, with many details still to be revealed.
As the investigation continues, the community is left to mourn the loss of a vibrant young woman taken too soon.