A British woman was stabbed in the leg by a yak while climbing Mount Everest while face-timing her family in Britain.
Emma Keen, 42, bled profusely after the yak’s horn tore through her leg, leaving her with a three-inch gash.
The store manager was on a 130km mission to trek to the Everest base camp when she was attacked in Tengboche village on the fourth day of the trek.
Mrs Keen, from South Wales, was speaking to her brother on FaceTime when she spotted the yak and turned the camera to show off the mammal, which was just two meters away from her.
She said: ‘Without warning I heard the hooves pounding towards me, a sharp stabbing pain in the top of my leg. I was thrown about three feet into the air and landed back on the ground with a thud.
Emma Keen, 42, bled profusely after the yak’s horn ripped through her leg, leaving her with a four-inch gash (Mrs Keen is pictured after reaching Mount Everest base camp, posted by a friend with a congratulatory message)
Mrs Keen, from South Wales, was talking to her brother on FaceTime when she spotted the yak and turned the camera to show off the mammal, which was just two meters away from her (file image of yaks on Mount Everest)
Ms Keen (pictured) said of the attack: ‘Without warning I heard the hooves pounding towards me, a sharp stabbing pain in the top of my leg. He threw me about three feet in the air and I landed back with a thud.”
“Clamping my thigh, I watched and the yak dragged its hoof through the dusty ground, ready to charge at me a second time, horns down. I screamed and managed to raise my leg and scream.”
A team member raised the alarm to get medical help for Ms Keen, who was bleeding profusely.
She received first aid from other members of the trekking group before being taken to hospital.
She needed ten stitches to her leg after the horror injury.
Fortunately, firefighter Carl Marsh was also on the road and was able to help Mrs. Keen thanks to his medical training in the fire service.
He said: “We had just arrived and were enjoying our first coffee to warm up when someone from the team came running into the teahouse shouting for help and saying she had just been attacked by a yak.
‘Instincts kicked in and we got Emma to a safe place, away from danger.
‘Emma screamed in pain and I soon saw that the yak’s horn had gone through Emma’s leg, leaving a large hole in her leggings and blood running down her leg.
‘I called the first aid kit and applied pressure to the wound to try to stop the bleeding. (We) treated the wound while we were in contact with the Sherpas to arrange a medical evacuation as quickly as possible.
‘We were supported by NHS midwife Katy Williams, who did a great job reassuring Emma while making her medical observations.
Ms Keen, who has already raised more than £2,300 for Kidney Wales, was adamant about completing the trek so she rejoined the group once she had recovered and completed the final steps on horseback (file image of Mount Everest seen from Tengboche village)
A friend posted photos of Ms Keen as she reached the Mount Everest base camp on social media, writing: ‘Congratulations Emma, you are an inspiration!’
‘Emma was in and out of consciousness and realized she needed urgent medical attention.’
Yaks, also known as a growling ox, are a type of long-haired cow found throughout the Himalayan region. They rarely attack humans, but can be very protective and attack if they think they are in danger.
Mrs Keen, who has already raised more than £2,300 for Kidney Wales, was adamant about completing the ride so she rejoined the group once she had recovered and completed the final steps on horseback.
She said: ‘It was important that I continued with the journey because it meant so much to me. Before I left on the flight, I could imagine being at Basecamp, something I had been training for for over a year and looking forward to.”
She said she chose the charity because her mother Helen had polycystic kidneys and urgently needed a kidney transplant.
Mrs Keen added: ‘My charity means a lot to me as my brother Peter is currently on the transplant list and in urgent need of a kidney.
‘When the accident happened, I kept thinking about him and how he would feel when I got to Basecamp.
‘My team I was with at the time of the accident was excellent. They tended to my wound very quickly and were encouraging during one of the most terrifying times of my life.
‘The Sherpas were excellent, they managed to arrange the helicopter. If it weren’t for them, I would have waited until the next day as time passed. ‘
A friend posted photos of Ms Keen as she reached the Mount Everest base camp on social media, writing: ‘Congratulations Emma, you are an inspiration!’