Morecambe’s volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew in animal mud rescue
RNLI rescue cow reported as stuck in mud on the river bank.
Morecambe’s RNLI inshore rescue hovercraft launched onto the River Lune (Friday 7 February) after a request from the Coastguard to locate and rescue a cow reported as stuck in mud on the river bank. Credit RNLI/Morcambe
Just before midday on Friday 7 February 2014, Liverpool Coastguard tasked the Morecambe RNLI hovercraft crew to locate and rescue a cow that was reported to be stuck in mud on the river bank opposite Lancaster Golf Club.
Launching onto the river, the hovercraft crew quickly located the frightened animal; which had sunk deep into thick mud and was unable to move anything but its head. It was immediately apparent that the four man hovercraft crew might have difficulty in freeing the cow without assistance and Hovercraft Commander Harry Roberts requested support from Bay Rescue with their specialist lifting gear. In the meantime, the hovercraft crew began working to free the animal using their own mud rescue equipment.
When the Bay Rescue team arrived on the scene an hour later, they worked with the RNLI hovercraft crew to free the animal, using the hovercraft’s mud lance together with water pumped into the mud from the hovercraft’s ballast tanks. With minutes to spare, due to the rapidly rising tide, the combined teams were able to finally extricate the animal from the mud; using the lifting equipment on the Bay Rescue team’s vehicle.
Morecambe RNLI hovercraft crew member Colin Midwinter said “This operation was an excellent example in demonstrating how the combined resources and expertise of the various rescue organisations can achieve successful outcomes under challenging circumstances.”
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