A bull killed a young bullfighter during his first performance.

In Lisbon, 22-year-old Manuel Maria Trindade died in the famous Campo Pequeno bullring. He was participating in a traditional Portuguese bullfight as a forcado—an unarmed fighter who attempts to hold the animal by its horns.

Trindade charged toward the 695-kilogram bull, but his companions were unable to stop the animal in time. The bull overtook the young man and slammed him hard into the wooden fence. The blow struck his head, causing him serious injuries.

Medics treated him right there in the arena and took him to São José Hospital, where he was placed in a medically induced coma. Despite the doctors' efforts, Trindade died on the morning of August 23 from irreversible brain damage.

The young man was considered a promising fighter and competed for the amateur group Sao Mancos, which was preparing for its 60th anniversary this year. The tragedy has sparked renewed criticism of bullfighting, which animal rights activists say is a cruel and dangerous spectacle.