Bullock rescued by fire crews after falling into swimming pool

The animal found itself in the rather unfortunate situation on 21 March in Marldon, Devon.

At 11pm, two crews from Paignton and Torquay fire stations were tasked to the scene, alongside the animal rescue team from Exmouth Fire Station and a specialist rescue tactical advisor.

The young bullock fell into the pool in a local garden after escaping from a nearby field.

Sharing the story to social media, Paignton Fire Station said: “The Paignton crew were first to arrive, and the officer in charge initially decided to pump some of the water out so the cow, actually a 600kg bullock, could stand and support itself.

“When they started pumping out the water the [bullock] seemed to swim along the pool and investigate the pump!”

The crews discussed the best way to go about removing the animal from the pool, in the least stressful way for it, and the safest option for crews.

“Large animal rescues can be very dangerous due to the unpredictable behaviour of animals, so crew safety is paramount,” they continued.

“So, the plan of action was to feed webbing straps under the [bullock] after getting him in the corner of the pool, then bring in a telehandler and lift him out supported comfortably.”

Meanwhile, a local farmer had positioned a cattle trailer, ready to move the animal into it.

“The operation went very smoothly,” Paignton Fire Station continued, “[bullock] lifted, moved to the trailer, and was then held in the harness for a few minutes until he could support himself again.

“By this time, he had been in the pool for three to four hours and was very cold, with obviously numb legs.

“The harness we use provides the ability for the [bullock] to stand just weight bearing, but still supported by the telehandler, where we can then pull a toggle mechanism from outside the penned off area by the trailer, which means the harness just falls to the ground and the [bullock] walks away.

“No need to risk the safety of our personnel to physically get close to remove the harness.

“A really good outcome for one very cold young bullock.

“He did spend quite some time with his nose just below the surface blowing bubbles, which he seemed to enjoy!” they ended.