A 14-year-old North Carolina boy is dead after riding a bull at a rodeo for the first time in his life, his family says.
Denim Bradshaw was taking his first ride Saturday at the Rafter K. Rodeo Winter Series in King, just outside Winston-Salem, when he went into cardiac arrest, Stokes County Director of Emergency Services Brandon Gentry told the Winston-Salem Journal.
The teen was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died, Gentry said. It's unclear what brought on the cardiac arrest.
Bradshaw's mother, Shannon Bowman, says at least her son was happy when he died.
"He was loving every second of it," she wrote on Facebook. "I never seen him so happy as I had seen him last night before his departure. Denim baby, you did it!!"
Bowman posted video of incident, which shows Bradshaw briefly on the bull before getting bucked off. Seconds after the teen hits the ground, it appears the bull stomped on his chest. Bradshaw stumbled away before collapsing at the side of the arena.
Bowman, who said she posted the video so others could see what happened "through my eyes," vowed to not let her son's death be in vain.
"It wasn't supposed to be this way," she wrote. "I'm going to do my best to start Denim's Law to make sure there are paramedics an ambulance on site at every rodeo! With the right equipment. I'm gonna make sure that there's more than enough training and each bull is the right weight for the age [and] size of rider. And I'm gonna make sure that all bull riding equipment is viewed and up to date standards."
The rodeo company addressed Bradshaw's death on Facebook, saying "words cannot describe the pain felt by this loss."
"Our sport is truly a family and we are so thankful for everyone that was there to help. We are thankful for our on site EMT’s, paramedics and law enforcement that work so hard to care for the cowboys," the post said.
A GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses describes Bradshaw as "lighting up every room he walked into."
"Denim adventured into the world of bull riding and fell in love. The boots, the cowboy hats, and those big belt buckles-- he loved it all. He got to ride his first bull on January 28th, and his excitement was palpable. None of us could believe that this first ride would cause his death, and we are beyond devastated," the account says. "Our sweet 14 year old boy lost his life during what was the most exciting moment of his short life, and we are now lost without him."
The account has raised more than $20,000.
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