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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Chris Kitching

First picture of dad killed by water buffalo as teenage son fights for life

This is the first picture of a dad-of-three who died when he was attacked by a water buffalo on his village farm.

Ralph Jump, 57, was crushed by the hulking animal, his 19-year-old son was left fighting for life and his 22-year-old daughter was also injured.

Mr Jump, a managing director of a heating company, rented the idyllic country farm to start a sustainable buffalo soap business with his family.

The dad - known as Jon - hand-reared the buffalo, which has been put down, at their three-acre farm in South Wales along with his youngest two children.

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Mr Jump's daughter Isabel, 22, and her two brothers (WALES NEWS SERVICE)

Daughter Isabel, 22, organised the sales of the hand-wrapped bars of scented soap - and the Bufalina Soap Company started selling them ahead of last Christmas.

But their business dreams were shattered when one of the buffaloes attacked at their picturesque farm in the Wye Vallley.

Mr Jump was killed by the time police arrived and his son needed to be airlifted to hospital where he is said to be "critical".

Isabel suffered leg injuries but is expected to recover.

Dad-of-three Mr Jump with a water buffalo on his farm (WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Police at the scene of the fatal attack in Monmouthshire in South Wales (Media Wales)

Her mother Jo is being comforted by friends after the tragedy.

A neighbouring farmer said: "Jon approached us last year about buying some hay for his buffalo.

"We asked him what he was doing and he said he was trying to diversify the farm.

"I think he had about a dozen buffalo at the farm and had bred a couple of calves over the past year or so."

Police say the animal attacked at a farm property in Gwehelog, near Usk, in Monmouthshire, South Wales.

The buffalo has now been put down.

Mr Jump was MD of the Wunda Group, based at nearby Caldicot, Gwent. The company supplies heating equipment and employs 56 people - but is on lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

A friend said: "Jon spent all his life in a shirt and tie but loved pulling on his wellies to get stuck in at the farm. He was as happy as anything there."

One of the water buffaloes on Mr Jump's rented farm (WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Isabel was also injured in Tuesday afternoon's attack (WALES NEWS SERVICE)

The Jump family rented the farmland from the Pontypool Park Estate.

A spokesman said: "It is a terrible tragedy and we feel for them.

"The Jumps are very nice people and we feel desperately sorry for them."

The family moved to the farm called Upper Berthllwyd about six years ago before introducing the buffaloes over the last few years.

Another neighbour said: "You couldn't hope to meet nicer people. Their soap is very nice and they loved making it.

"This is such a quiet area and it was a terrible shock when ambulances and police suddenly turned up with an air ambulance helicopter too. It is a terrible shock."

The farm is the base of The Bufalina Soap Company - selling a range of scented buffalo soap from £4 to £42.

The company says: "We make our soap with the milk from our herd of Mediterranean Water Buffalo, located in the Welsh Marches.

Police were called to the family's farm just before 3pm on Tuesday (Media Wales)

"Around the World this buffalo breed is famous for its dairy products such as mozzarella, gelato and ice cream.

"The richness of the milk makes it ideal for making a creamy, luxurious and gentle soap which leaves the skin feeling soft and moisturised.

"Our unscented and scented soaps (mainly made with essential oils and a couple with parfums) are all free from Palm oil, Parabens, Petrochemicals – made only from Water Buffalo milk, Coconut oil, Olive oil, Sunflower oil, Bees wax and Shea Butter."

A spokeswoman for Gwent Police said: "We received a report of an incident at a commercial property in Gwehelog, Monmouthshire, at around 2.50pm on Tuesday 5 May, after two men and a woman were attacked by a water buffalo.

"A 57-year-old man from the Gwehelog area was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics from Wales Ambulance Service.

"A 19-year-old man from the Gwehelog area sustained critical injuries during the incident. He has been taken to the University Hospital for Wales for treatment by the Welsh Air Ambulance.

"A 22-year-old woman from the Gwehelog area sustained a serious injury to her leg. Her injuries are not thought to be critical and she has been taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital for treatment by the Wales Ambulance Service.

"The water buffalo has been destroyed.

"Officers received assistance from the National Police Air Service (NPAS) at the scene."

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