Heroic rescue in Dorset: cows saved from slurry pit
27th February 2024
Two cows trapped in a slurry pit have been saved thanks to the heroic efforts of a Dorset farmer and local firefighters.
Crews from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to a farm in Silton, near Gillingham, after the cows were found stranded on Sunday 25th February.
The rescue team arrived at the scene to find that the farmer had already managed to save one of the cows.
However, the other cow had moved to the back of the slurry pit, complicating the rescue efforts.
Three hour long rescue mission
Firefighters used an inflatable raft and slide boards to get to the cow before sliding it to the edge and up onto the bank.
The cow was left too tired to stand after the rescue, so the team used lifting equipment to move the cow over a fence and into a barn.
Crews spent more than three hours helping rescue the animals before leaving them in the care of the farmer. The animals have made a full recovery.
A spokesperson for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said that one heifer was brought to safety by the farmer using a telehandler. The other was saved by firefighters using animal rescue equipment and an inflatable raft for access.
According to the BBC, it is the third time in just over a month that firefighters have rescued cows stuck in farm slurry pits in Dorset.
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