Peak District cow trampling: Woman spent eight days in coma

Pip Peacock said she put her hands over her head and prayed during the stampede

A woman who was seriously injured when she was trampled by a herd of cows needed 17 titanium plates to repair her rib cage.

Pip Peacock, 63, from Bakewell, was caught in the stampede while walking her dog in the Peak District in 2019.

The dog, Buster, was killed and the former teacher spent eight days in a coma.

Ms Peacock had to be taken to hospital by air ambulance, whose intervention "probably" saved her life.

She said she has spent a lot of time walking during lockdown and has set herself a challenge to walk 1,000 miles to raise funds for Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance.

'Had no voice'

Ms Peacock was caught in the stampede while walking Buster in a field near the Derbyshire village of Sheldon in September 2019.

"Buster was used to walking in fields of cows and was on a very short lead by my knees," she said.

"The first thing I recall about the attack is one cow coming for me. Then I was lying on the ground and was kicked and rolled over several times.

"I tried to shout for help but had no voice. Suddenly I heard voices and two men and a woman came along.

"The men were incredibly brave and chased the cows away. The woman stayed and talked to me."

Her injuries included 34 breaks in her ribs, a broken collar bone, broken shoulder ligaments, and a broken finger, as well as serious wounds to her left leg and right knee.

Buster, a 13-year-old black Labrador, was killed in the attack.

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Ms Peacock was flown to hospital in 10 minutes, a journey that could have taken 45 minutes by road, according to the air ambulance.

She said: "My injuries were so serious I probably would not have survived if I had gone in a land ambulance to hospital."

Once there, she was put in a coma and surgeons put in the titanium plates.

Ms Peacock was walking her dog near Magpie Mine when she was attacked

Ms Peacock was able to leave hospital within a month, although she continues to suffer pain.

She is now more than 200 miles into her challenge.

"I think it was just an unfortunate event," she added.

"I thought it would be a great idea to raise money so that something good comes out of what happened to me."