An inquest into the death of a Co Mayo farmer heard he had raised the alarm that he was being attacked by a bull by ringing home on his mobile phone.
Before he died on May 18th last, John Ryan (36), of Derrylahan, Ballyhaunis, managed to call his wife and say the words "field" and "bull" in a muffled voice.
Mary Ryan was close to tears when her statement of evidence was read at the inquest in Castlebar into the father of two's tragic death.
In the statement, the young mother told the Coroner for South Mayo, John O'Dwyer, that her husband had brought her son Jonathan to school about 9am that day and she fell back to sleep. Their daughter, Michelle, was with her in the bed.
She said when John rang at about 10.10am she put her daughter in the car and drove down towards the field.
"When I got out of the car, the tractor wasn't running and John was behind the tractor lying on the ground kind of wriggling around," Mrs Ryan said. "I'd say he was in pain."
Witness said that after raising the alarm by ringing a neighbour, Michael Keane, and Dr Paddy Noone, she stayed holding her husband up. Dr Noone then said to her: "I think he's gone."
Dr Iqdam Tobbia, consultant pathologist at Mayo General Hospital, said that death in his opinion was due to a lacerated liver with massive intra peritoneal haemorrhage. In conjunction with the fractured lower ribs and the bruise to the head of the pancreas these injuries were most likely induced by an external blow to the lower chest and abdomen.
Recording an open verdict, Mr O'Dwyer said it was not known what had happened to Mr Ryan except to say there was a presumption he had been attacked by a bull. However, there was no conclusive evidence in the matter.