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North Carolina cowboy, 14, suffers fatal cardiac arrest after being flung from bull and stomped on

Jan. 30, 2023
North Carolina cowboy, 14, suffers fatal cardiac arrest after being flung from bull and stomped on

A 14-year-old boy from North Carolina died after suffering cardiac arrest while bull riding at a rodeo after falling from an animal which stomped his chest. 

Cowboy Denim Bradshaw spent the last few moments of his life doing what he loved before emergency services were summoned to the Rafter K. Rodeo on Saturday night. 

Bradshaw was participating in the rodeo's winter series when he fell off the bull and was stomped on in the chest by the animal, a spectator told WFMY. 

His grieving mother recalled the traumatic event calling it 'the longest night of [her] life.'  

'My beautiful handsome 14 year old son had went to be with the lord,' Shannon Bowman wrote on Facebook. 'I awoke in a nightmare for the rest of my life... he was loving every second of it I never seen him so happy as I had seen him last night before his departure.' 

Two EMT's at the event started performing life saving measures on Bradshaw until emergency services arrived. He was taken to the hospital were he was later pronounced dead. 

Heart broken Bowman remembered her son's passion for riding. 

'Denim baby you did it,' Bowman wrote. 'You did that!! I’m so proud of your braveness and your courage! My lil cowboy I will love and miss you so much and I know God will take care of you.' 

Horrified spectators recalled as the scene unfold as Bradshaw fell to the ground. 

Amanda Paquette, whose son was also participating in the event, was traumatized watching Bradshaw die after weeks of anticipating the event. 

'Like I'm a single mom, I had spent these last two weeks saving my money to buy my son everything he needed for the rodeo,' Paquette told the news outlet. 

'I wanted to make sure that he had everything he needed to be safe, but she has no idea that the next day her son wasn't going to be there with her.'  

Rafter K Rodeo Company announced Bradford's death on Sunday while recalling how everyone came together to help.

Snaps shared since showed rodeo attendees bowing their heads and taking their stetsons off to pay tribute to Denim.  

'Our sport is truly a family and we are so thankful for everyone that was there to help,' the statement read. 'We are thankful for our on site EMT’s, paramedics and law enforcement that work so hard to care for the cowboys. 

'This is a tragic event and words cannot describe the pain felt by this loss. We ask everyone to come together and pray for his family for comfort and healing in this difficult time.' 


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