Children’s author’s terror as she’s almost trampled to death by cows while walking her dogs
By John Coles
Babette Cole, 65, was walking her dogs when one beast from a herd with their calves “tossed me in the air”, The Princess Smartypants writer said others were then “playing football with me”.
She said: “The cows appeared from nowhere and they went for me, they were going for my two terriers. They were obviously defending their babies. One of them ran at me and tossed me right up in the air, they were playing football with me. They then proceeded to try and kill me. It was like a forest of legs and feet that were trampling me and I couldn’t get out or do anything. I was passing out with the blows and was ready to die.”
Passer-by Rachel Hobbs saw the cows off and found Babette bleeding with “half her clothes ripped off and hoofprints all over her back”. While she dragged the author to safety, her husband Andy called 999.
Rachel, from Horsebridge, Devon, said: “It was a miracle we were there. We had gone to view the property for sale next door and afterwards we went to look at the land. Something made us go and have a look over the gate. The next thing we knew this dog came hurtling towards us and all the cows were charging around. I climbed over the gate and what was there was really like something in a horror movie.”
Life-saver: Rachel Hobbs who came to the rescue of author Babette Cole while she was being attacked by cows
Babette, of Lewdown, Devon, was airlifted to hospital with broken ribs and a shoulder, and needed stitches in her head. She is being cared for by friends.
Babette said: “Rachel was so brave. She pulled me out and got me over a gate and she and her husband got me into a barn and called the ambulance. I managed to contact her when I came out of hospital and said ‘thank you for saving my life’. I want to warn people not to go into fields with cows in them, particularly when they have calves.”