Bedfordview resident Christopher Morris led an inexperienced team to successfully save an escaped bull along Van der Linde Road.
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As an advanced life support paramedic for Gauteng EMS, Christopher invoked the Emergency Services Act to administer a delicate procedure that saved the bull’s life.
On July 9, Christopher was at home when he received a call that a bull had escaped from a nearby restaurant and injured two people.
“I remember thinking it may have been a mechanical bull or something along those lines,” Christopher said.
Upon arrival, he found an injured man lying in the bushes. The man sustained fractures and Christopher set out to stabilise him.
“I gave him pain medication and an IV before handing him over to paramedics from a private service.”
He added the man took on the full impact of the 850kg Brahman bull.
“A second victim sustained a few minor abrasions and refused care,” he said.
Christopher then received a second call explaining the bull was on Van der Linde Road and was in trouble.
“The bull was tied up and it appeared as though people were trying to kill it.”
He arrived at the same time as security providers and found the large animal lying on its side.
“Bulls cannot lie on their side because they suffer from bloat which can be fatal.
“The poor guy’s legs were bound too,” he said.
A few youngsters from the community joined efforts to save the animal.
“They said they had grown up on a farm and were keen to help.”
Christopher called for the assistance of a veterinarian who was able to consult telephonically.
“We determined that the bull had a collapsed lung and something needed to be done soon or he would die right there in the middle of the road,” he said.
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The bull was sedated and Christopher was guided through the process of decompressing the animal’s lung.
“With the vet on the phone and photograph references from Google, I made an incision that was able to decompress his lung.”
Christopher had to send one of the patrollers on the scene to his house to fetch specialised equipment to perform the procedure.
“I performed minor surgery on a bull in the middle of a street in Bedfordview.”
Christopher, the youngsters, patrollers and security services waited with the bull until the SPCA’s horse box arrived.
He said the EMPD were on scene to assist with crowd control.
“There was one officer. She was a tough ‘tannie’ who made sure that the wrong people, the people who wanted to hurt the bull, were chased from the scene,” Christopher said.
“All the right resources were there that night and the ‘patient’ survived. There’s no standard operating procedure for this kind of thing. It all ended well for the big guy.
“He was taken under escort to a farm where he will live out the rest of his life in peace,” Christopher said.
“It was just a bunch of good Samaritans working together for something good in the spirit of community.”
Christopher added that the bull was extremely exhausted after the ordeal.
“When he arrived at the farm he immediately went to drink water. I felt so sorry for the poor guy.”
He added that the right people ended up at the scene that night.
“It was a wild ride and a great experience.
“We did what was right for the bull. We saved a life, did the right thing and that feels good.”
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