Firefighters rescue stranded cow

Press release from High Springs Fire Department

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – Just before 7:00 p.m. on the evening of April 22, High Springs firefighters received a phone call in the station from a distressed resident on County Road 236, whose cow had found itself trapped in a hole.

Within minutes of the phone call, the High Springs Fire Department arrived on the scene with a full complement of personnel and found a 1,200-pound cow trapped in a 20-25-foot-deep sinkhole. The cow was standing on a shallow ledge in the water, just below chest depth.

After a thorough evaluation, firefighters entered the water to attempt a rescue. After two hours, using an improvised harness made of ropes and an old fire hose, crews were able to carefully lift the cow out of the sinkhole.

High Springs Firefighters were aided on-scene by Alachua County Fire Rescue’s technical rescue crew, who provided added manpower and heavy lifting equipment.

The cow, while exhausted from the ordeal, was thankful to be above ground and did not appear to be injured.

Training from specialized Animal Rescue classes attended by several members of your High Springs Fire Department played a pivotal role in the successful rescue of the animal.