Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue and TLC Towing rescued a family milking cow on Thursday afternoon after it slid down a 20-foot embankment and got stuck in the mud.
The cow’s owners worked for several hours to cut back blackberry bushes and dig the cow out, but were unsuccessful, so they called CCFR for assistance, stated a news release.
The on-duty battalion chief drove to the site at 3717 NE 259th St., east of Ridgefield, and decided the cow could be lifted out of the mud with the assistance of a crane. TLC Towing in Ridgefield responded with a “rotator wrecker” equipped with a crane that is able to swing from side-to-side and lift heavy loads. The rotator wrecker is often used to recover large trucks and trailers that have rolled over, stated the release.
Crews set up the crane, while firefighters placed lifting straps around the cow, and worked to simultaneously dig out the mud surrounding the animal’s legs, while the crane operator worked.
After an hour, the cow’s legs were freed and the animal was lifted back onto solid ground.
The cow wasn’t injured and quickly walked off once the straps were removed, stated the release.
TLC Towing did not charge the family for their services during the rescue.
“TLC Towing has been a great partner to CCFR and other emergency response agencies in our region,” said Fire Chief John Nohr. “They are consistently ready to help us, whether it’s helping untangle a serious vehicle crash or just helping get an animal unstuck.”
Two CCFR units responded to the scene to help the cow.
Other CCFR units remained in service during the rescue so they could respond to any emergency incidents during the rescue.
