The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reported that the worker left around 1:30 a.m. on horseback to move cattle and was later found under the horse near a ditch
- Primera Hora reports emergency medical personnel from Humacao needed heavy machinery to move the live horse before the man could be rescued and pronounced dead at the scene
- El Nuevo Día and NotiCel state the victim was between 68 and 70 years old and worked at Vaquería Roberto Mendoza; the horse was lying with its back to the ditch
- El Vocero reported the search began near 3:50 a.m. after the man did not return and that a tractor was used to lift the still-moving horse
Updates
Update, Nov 12, 8:51 AM AST
NotiCel adds no new facts, confirming the same details already reported by four other outlets.
NotiCel reported that the incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. Thursday in barrio Antón Ruiz, Humacao, at a dairy farm along PR-927. According to the outlet, the approximately 68- to 70-year-old employee left on horseback to move cattle and was later found underneath the animal near a ditch after coworkers began a search when he failed to return.
The outlet stated that Humacao Municipal Emergency Medical personnel used heavy machinery to move the still-living horse before the man could be rescued; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Personnel from the Humacao Criminal Investigation Corps are investigating the case.
Incident details
A worker at Vaquería Roberto Mendoza in the Antón Ruiz sector of Humacao died early Thursday after being found underneath a horse near a ditch on the farm located along PR-927. According to preliminary police information cited by Metro Puerto Rico, the man left around 1:30 a.m. to move cattle to another area while riding the horse. When he did not return, coworkers searched for him and located the horse and the employee beneath it.
Personnel from the Humacao Municipal Emergency Medical Service responded to the scene. Primera Hora and El Nuevo Día reported that heavy machinery, including a tractor, was required to move the live horse, which was still moving, before the man could be extracted. He was certified dead at the scene with no vital signs.
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Police response
El Vocero reported that the search by other employees began near 3:50 a.m. The horse was found with its back to the ditch and the worker underneath, with one leg visible according to the police report cited by El Nuevo Día. Agent Roberto Santiago conducted the preliminary investigation.
Personnel from the Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) and the on-duty prosecutor were notified and responded to the scene, Primera Hora reported. Police are investigating the circumstances of the death.
Where the sources differ
All five sources agree on the basic facts: the incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. Thursday at a dairy farm on PR-927 in Humacao's Antón Ruiz sector; the employee left on horseback to move cattle, did not return, and was found under the live horse near a ditch after coworkers searched for him. Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora do not give the victim's approximate age or name the dairy. El Nuevo Día, El Vocero and NotiCel name the farm as Vaquería Roberto Mendoza, report the search began near 3:50 a.m., and state the horse was still alive and moving and had to be lifted with heavy machinery or a tractor. El Nuevo Día and NotiCel give the victim's age as between 68 and 70 years old. All cite preliminary police information.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not identify the victim by name. They do not state the exact cause of death, whether an autopsy will be performed, or if the horse's behavior or any equipment failure contributed to the incident. No information is provided on the worker's length of employment, safety protocols at the dairy, or any immediate response from the farm's owners.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published and last updated. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Muere trabajador hallado debajo de un caballo en Humacao
- Reporting Muere hombre aplastado por un caballo tras aparente caída en Humacao
- Reporting Empleado de una vaquería muere tras ser presuntamente aplastado por un caballo en Humacao
- Reporting Empleado de vaquería muere presuntamente aplastado por caballo
- Reporting En Humacao, un hombre muere aplastado por un caballo
How we checked this
NotiCel joins Metro Puerto Rico, Primera Hora, El Nuevo Día and El Vocero in reporting the death; the new outlet adds no facts that contradict or materially expand the earlier accounts, which all rest on preliminary police information.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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