Costa Rica News – Although the Zapote bullfights look like a lot of fun when watching the festivities on TV on in the stands at the arena, there is actually a lot of danger when taunting large horned animals. An American missionary living in Costa Rica found this out on Saturday.

A young man working as an American missionary is barely holding onto life at the Calderon Guardia Hospital immediately after being gored by a bull during the Festival in Zapote. The once a year “bullfights” in Zapote are regarded as the biggest of these events in Costa Rica.

The hospitalized youth was identified only by the last name Derry and had only been in the country for a few months doing his missionary work.

On this past Saturday, he asked his good friends to go with him to the Fiestas de Zapote in order to celebrate his birthday. Upon arrival he decided to enter the bullring and participate with the many others in the Costa Rican-style of amateur bullfighting.

Bullfights that occur in Costa Rica do not include injuring or killing the bull. Bascially many men enter the ring and try to taunt and avert the charging bull. It is almost like a game of chicken, but sometimes there are casualties.

Based on the reports from the Costa Rica Red Cross, the man was in critical condition after being gored in the neck by one of the charging bulls.

The man remains in critical condition at Calderon Guardia Hospital at the time of this article.

Having experienced the hospital system in Costa Rica, he is in good hands when it comes to emergency situations.

All we can do is pray for him and hope that he gets through this horrifying situation in a foreign country with few friends and family here to support him.