Delaware County Bull Attack

A Delaware County woman was nearly killed, after a bull attacked her in her own backyard. It happened near Colcord. <br/><br/>The victim told News on 6 reporter Ashli Sims that something good did come

Wednesday, July 19th 2006, 10:28 am

By: News On 6

A Delaware County woman was nearly killed, after a bull attacked her in her own backyard. It happened near Colcord.

The victim told News on 6 reporter Ashli Sims that something good did come out of the terrifying attack.

Itâ€™s a fact of farm life, sometimes livestock manage to escape from their pens. But Janet Stansell says 36 years of ranch-living couldn't prepare her for the day she was almost killed. "I been around bulls and cattle before, but not this kinda bull that I was face to face with."

The Stansells' say two weeks ago one of their neighborâ€™s rodeo bulls got loose. They say its owner tried to corral the bull in one of the Stansells' pens, but the bull took off towards their backyard.

Janet Stansell says she was down here minding her own business, picking cucumbers. When she looked up, a bull was racing towards her. She threw the only weapon she had. But it didnâ€™t save her from the hit of her life. "He hit me in the ribs and it knocked me to the ground and I was having trouble breathing."

Stansell says staring down that bull was one of the most panic-stricken moments of her life. She tried to call for her husband. "He didn't hear me, so I called on Jesus. I really did. And I think that's how I got to the back door. I remember crawling part of the way and I donâ€™t know how I got to the rest of the house."

The retired school teacher had a punctured lung, broken ribs, and a bruised spleen. But she says something good came out of the attack, she found out she had a life-threatening condition. "I also had a large cyst that had formed on my liver that was unrelated and I needed immediate care for that also."

Janet Stansell says doctors drained two liters of fluid off her liver. A week later, she's out of the hospital, a little sore, still black and blue, but glad to be alive.

"I just felt very very fortunate very blessed."