School Teacher Killed by Cows While Walking Dogs

A headteacher has been killed by cows while walking his dogs in a field in the north east of England.

David Clark, who was described as the "heart and soul" of Richmond School in North Yorkshire died on Monday evening while walking near fields in Richmond. North Yorkshire Police say they were called to reports of a man being injured by cows in a field at 7.30pm.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "Officers from the local Neighbourhood Policing Team will be working to support those affected by his death today. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed, and inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances."

The school paid tribute to Clark, who had taught students for 23 years, as a brilliant school leader. A statement from the school said: "He was an enormous character, a brilliant school leader and simply a lovely man who enriched the life of everyone he came into contact with, just by being himself and doing what he did every day."

The school also added that Clark was a keen sportsman and had grown to love the Dales and could often be seen cycling, walking and spending time on the moor during the beating season.

Paying tribute to Clark, headteacher Jenna Potter said: "Dave was always the person we looked to deal with difficult issues and he was a master at that. He never let students get away with being anything other than their very best, never giving up on them, even when at times it felt as though they wanted to give up on themselves. All of this, Dave did with a smile and a level of kindness and care that is seldom seen.

"Outside school, Dave was a keen sportsman. He had grown to love the Dales and would often be seen cycling, walking and spending time on the moor during the beating season. Our students and their parents have been lucky to have known and been helped by him. We have been privileged as a staff to have worked with him and will continue working in the same way in his memory.

"Above all, Dave was a family man. Our thoughts are with Dave's wife, his children and wider family at this difficult time."

In the U.K., cows have been responsible for the most deaths of people between 2000 and 2015, figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) say. Exactly 74 people were killed over those 15 years.

In the U.S., animals kill just over 200 people on average each year according to a 2018 study by Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, with 86 deaths annually between 1999-2007 from venomous animal encounters.