A respected Spanish matador lost his life in a tragic bullring accident, leaving behind final words that witnesses say were calm but urgent. Iván Fandiño Barros, 36, was known for taking on bulls that many others refused to face. His courage made him a star in Spain, even as bullfighting continued to stir strong debate.

The fatal event took place in 2017 at a festival in Aire-sur-l’Adour in southwest France. During the fight, Fandiño tripped when his cloak wrapped around his legs. The small mistake left him unable to move out of the way. The bull charged and struck him with great force, lifting him into the air before plunging a horn into his chest. Reports later confirmed that his lung had been punctured.

Fellow matador Juan del Álamo, who later finished the fight, said the moment happened too fast for anyone to prevent. Emergency crews reached Fandiño quickly, but his condition worsened on the way to the hospital. His heart stopped in the ambulance, and doctors were unable to save him.

Witnesses believe his final words were a plea for help: “Hurry up, I’m dying.”

The tragedy renewed questions about bullfighting, a tradition still legal in parts of Spain but banned in many countries. Animal welfare groups noted that the practice puts both humans and animals at extreme risk and argued that no life should be lost for entertainment.

Fandiño’s death came only a year after another well-known matador, Víctor Barrio, died from similar injuries. The back-to-back tragedies brought the future of bullfighting under even closer scrutiny.