WENTZVILLE, MO – Wentzville firefighters and a Good Samaritan work together to rescue a pregnant cow stuck shoulder-deep in muddy water. The cow’s owners are grateful for the support they received to save their beloved animal.
Dorothy Harris said she and her husband, Sam, noticed a few of their cows near the pond Tuesday evening (May 16). Due to the high temperatures in recent days, they assumed the cows were just trying to keep cool.
Wednesday morning (May 17), as Harris was drinking her coffee, she noticed one of her cows had not moved from that spot. She woke her husband and the two went to the field to check on their cow.
Based on the size of the cow, and how deeply she was stuck, they realized they could not free her without help. They also feared she might have injured a leg.
Captain Jesse Hakenewerth with the Wentzville Fire Protection District said they got the call around 7:45 a.m. for a citizen’s assist. According to Hakenewerth, that is a broad category that could cover a variety of situations.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found a 1,300-pound cow stuck up to her shoulders in muddy water. Firefighters used rope to wrap around the animal, and a neighbor assisted with a backhoe to help dig a space for the cow to climb out of the mud.
The rescue did not come without a few challenges though.
“Normally when you’re assisting somebody it’s a person that can listen to commands or can communicate with you,” said Hakenewerth. “Our greatest fear is just pulling it in a wrong direction and either hurting the animal or causing it to hurt somebody that was standing there.”
The cow was also fatigued from being stuck in the same place for so long.
“Its legs were actually stuck under it. Just like if you slept on your arm,” said Hakenewerth. “It couldn’t get out.”
Once firefighters and the neighbor stepped in to help, the rescue took about an hour and 20 minutes to complete. After she was freed from the mud, the cow went right out to the pasture where she began grazing on grass.
Harris said she is grateful to the Wentzville Fire Protection District and her new neighbor who stepped up to help in their time of need.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, and I will be bringing pies by!”
