A Scotsman made a miracle escaped after he was gored by a bull while dressed as Santa Claus.
Angus Ritchie, from Paisley, was one of three men injured during the traditional running of the bulls at Carnaval del Toro festival in the Salamanca region of Spain.
The 46-year-old, who is an experienced bull runner, was attempting the run at Ciudad Rodrigo when tragedy struck on Saturday.
Mr Ritchie had to be carried off by medics while blood streamed from his head, and was taken to hospital where he was had nine stitches put into one side of his head, and nine staples in the other.
Yesterday, he went online to reassure family and friends that he was recovering well.
Thanking everyone who had been in touch over the weekend, he wrote: “Everything is fine.
“My head has been split open, but the medics have done a great job. Thank you, everyone.”
Benjamin Miller, from Georgia, was also injured in the bull run but is now out of intensive care and improving, the Spanish hospital where he is being treated confirmed last night.
A spokesman for the Clinic Hospital in western Salamanca said the 20-year-old was out of danger and not likely to have to undergo any further operations.
Mr Miller suffered several wounds, including a 16in goring in the thigh, when he was caught by a fighting bull during the festival.
Surgeon Enrique Crespo, who carried out a three-hour operation on Mr Miller, said: “It’s not the worst injury I’ve seen, but it’s the biggest goring wound I’ve ever had to operate on.
Town councillor Pedro Munoz said a Spaniard had also suffered less serious goring injuries during Saturday’s events.
Fiestas featuring bulls are common in Spain, and critics and aficionados alike agree that the events, which attract international audiences, are dangerous.
“Doctor Crespo is a world-renowned expert and we have a medically-equipped helicopter on stand-by every day of our annual fiesta,” Mr Munoz said.
He said somewhere between 45,000 and 50,000 people had been attracted over the weekend to this year’s four-day fiesta, which includes afternoon bullfights and bull-running events.
Ciudad Rodrigo – population 14,000 – is a small cathedral city close to the Portuguese border which is a popular tourist destination. It retains its ancient defensive walls and was the site of key battles between Napoleon’s army and British forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington from 1810 to 1812.