Oregon Firefighters Rescue 600-pound Cow from Well

Slide Show A 600-pound Angus cow was rescued from a well Sunday in Canby after it broke through a series of railroad ties. Emergency personnel responded to a call Sunday around 10:30 a.m. on Territorial Rd. in Canby and found the cow trapped 24 feet below ground in an abandoned concrete well. Rescuers provided supplemental oxygen to the well, and then lowered Clackamas Firefighter Steve Hazelton into the well to administer a tranquilizer. After the cow was sedated, Hazelton fed a lifting strap under the trapped animal so that a crane could hoist it from the well. Once the rescue strap was in place, rescue crews were evacuated from in and around the well and a landing area was made for the cow. The cow was lifted from the hole just after 2 p.m. Within an hour, the cow has fully regained consciousness, and rescuers reported that it did not appear to have any concerning injuries. "The cow is a new addition to our family," said her owner, Bev Pelz. "We have not even named her yet. We were thinking either Miracle, for obvious reasons, or maybe Jessica, after the girl who was rescued from the well." Republished with permission of KGW-TV.