BY AMANDA MCMASTERS COPY EDITOR
Bringing in the New Year typically brings to mind images of champagne, watching the ball drop in Times Square and everyone breaking out into a chorus of “Auld Lang Syne.”
The masses are filled with hope as fireworks go off and everyone looks forward to a better year, making all sorts of resolutions that probably won’t be kept.
This year, however, New Year’s Eve turned into an evening of mishap and misfortune around the globe, bringing ambulances and injuries instead of poppers and party hats.
In Shanghai, China, a stampede during New Year’s Eve festivities left 36 dead and 47 injured according to CNN news reports. More than 300,000 people had gathered in Chenyi Square to celebrate when the stampede occurred 20 minutes before midnight, lasting about 30 seconds.
Adding to the tragedy, 593 people were injured in fireworks-related incidents on New Year’s Eve in the Philippines. More than half of the reported injuries were caused by illegal fireworks.
Closer to home, a man was seriously injured during New Year’s festivities at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany, Ore.
Austin Bottcher was taken to Legacy Immanuel Hospital in Portland after being attacked by a bull in the arena three times.
Bottcher was participating in what is known as Bull Poker, which is playing a hand of poker in the middle of the arena while a bucking bull is released and whoever stays seated the longest wins the cash prize.
Bottcher rang in the New Year in surgery to reconnect his femur to his hip after volunteering and paying to play the game in the arena.
Check out the video footage of the Linn County Fairground bull attack taken by Amanda McMasters at wou.edu/WesternJournal
