Fifteen children were injured, including three seriously, on Tuesday July 19 during a pony training course, at the equestrian center of Saint M’Hervé, near Vitré (Ille-et-Vilaine), the Rennes prosecutor’s office announced to France Bleu on Wednesday. Armorica. The group, made up of 26 children, received hoof kicks from several ponies for an as yet unknown reason, according to the same source.
The children, aged 9 to 13 years old, are from the department of Ille-et-Vilaine as well as Mayenne. Tuesday evening, around 8:45 p.m., they were bringing the ponies back for the night, supervised by their leaders. “On the way, one of the ponies, probably the lead one, turned around for an undetermined reason, followed by others. In their flight, the animals jostled and knocked down the group”explains Rennes prosecutor Philippe Astruc.
In the turmoil, according to the emergency services and the prosecution, 17 people were injured in the arms or legs, 15 children and two facilitators. Three children were seriously affected in the head and transported in absolute emergency in intensive care to the South Hospital of Rennes. This Tuesday evening, the boss of Samu 35 Louis Soulat explained that they had “head injuries that require special monitoring in intensive care”. This Wednesday at noon, their vital prognoses were no longer engaged.
Fourteen other people were taken care of in relative emergency. Two leaders of the pony course were also treated for post-traumatic stress. An investigation has been opened to determine what may have happened. She was entrusted to the Vitré research brigade. For this intervention, 45 firefighters were on site, accompanied by medical teams from Sdis and Smur 35. Ten ambulances and two helicopters were deployed.
A medico-psychological cell will be set up this Wednesday morning, at the equestrian center. The town hall says it is ready to welcome families in a communal hall, if they need it. “It is an equestrian center that has existed for more than twenty years and in which we have never had a problem”adds the First Deputy Mayor of Saint-M’Hervé, Alain Cornée.