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Bogged-down bovine freed from deep mud near Ridgefield

By Will Campbell, Columbian Associate Editor
Published: May 21, 2021, 2:42pm
3 Photos
Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue worked with TLC Towing to rescue a cow trapped in mud down an embankment on Thursday afternoon.
Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue worked with TLC Towing to rescue a cow trapped in mud down an embankment on Thursday afternoon. (Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue) Photo Gallery

There were four specific obstacles that a family, a fire crew and a towing company had to overcome when rescuing a cow stuck in deep mud in Ridgefield Thursday, according Clark-Cowlitz Fire and Rescue.

Blackberry bushes: The owners of the cow discovered that it had slid down an embankment into mud. They had to cut blackberry bush vines to get to the struggling cow.

Mud: The owners tried to dig the cow out, but any effort to remove the mud made the cow sink deeper. After hours of trying, they called Clark County Fire and Rescue.

•  Weight and shape: The cow weighed so much that the fire department needed help, too. They called TLC Towing in Ridgefield. TLC Towing showed up with a machine called a rotator wrecker used for towing large vehicles. The wrecker has a crane that can lift a cow. The crane had two lifting straps that the firefighters fitted under the cow.

Suction: As the crane slowly lifted the cow, firefighters dug under the it to prevent its legs from getting injured from suction in the mud. After about an hour, the crane hefted the cow into the air, where it slowly rotated. The wrecker operator set the cow on the solid ground, firefighters removed the straps and the animal walked away. TLC didn’t charge the family for retuning their cow.

Clark-Cowlitz Fire and Rescue recorded a video of the rescue at the farm at 3717 N.E. 259th St. Watch it at  https://youtu.be/iEYXh4lDr5M.

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