MADISON COUNTY, IOWA – An elderly Iowa farmer got in the ring with a bull and did not live to tell about the incident.
On January 19, 2025 and at 7:31pm, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting an adult male had been severely injured on his farm in the 2400 block of Millstream Avenue in Madison County.
Arriving deputies and EMTs with the Madison County Ambulance discovered 76-year-old Mark Hollingsworth injured and unresponsive in the cattle feeding area of his property. Life saving efforts were made and Hollingsworth was eventually declared dead. An investigation into the incident shows that Hollingsworth had entered the bull pin of his farm to ensure the cattle’s water source hadn’t frozen up. It was then that a bull injured Hollingsworth. Family members then discovered Hollingsworth and called 911.
The State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny is conducting a further investigation to see if a medical issue may have led to Hollingsworth becoming incapacitated and preceding the injuries sustained from the bull.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Winterset Fire Department, Madison County Ambulance, Madison County Medical Examiner’s Office and Methodist Life Flight.