30th June 2009
'Oops-a-Daisy' - fire crews rescue cow from milking machine
A Kent farmer has thanked firefighters for rescuing one his dairy cows after she became trapped in a milking shed.
The animal’s ordeal began at when it fell down the side of a gantry beneath the milking machines at Amhurst Court Farm in Bedlam Lane, Egerton, nr Ashford this morning at approximately 7.30am, and could not get back out.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s Faversham-based animal rescue unit was called to the scene at around 10.30am along with fire crews from Ashford and Faversham.
Ashford Station Manager Lee Rose explained: “When we arrived at the farm we found that the cow had fallen down into a pit alongside the gantry of the shed, into an area with very restricted access. There was a lot of the milking machinery above its head and this made it difficult for the cow to stand up or move itself out of the space. The cow did not seem distressed but was clearly rather shocked.”
Fire crews had to remove part of the roof of the building and, after moving the cow into position and attaching strops around its body, they winched it to safety lifting it up through the roof using the crane on the animal rescue unit.
Lee added: ”This was a really difficult rescue due to the very limited access and the highly delicate machinery involved.”
Farmer Godfrey Palmer said: “The fire service responded very quickly to rescue the animal safely. I was very pleased with the operation and can't thank the fire crews enough.”
Ends//
Note to editors
Photographs are available from this incident. Please contact the press office by emailing
info@kent.fire-uk.org|.
We're now on Twitter!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|