Bobby Tucker tried to free his prize 850 lb. Black Angus cow from the mire and high water she was nearly drowning in. It was too much for him alone, so a call for help went out to Chesterfield's Bravest, and Scuba Rescue rose to the challenge.
Saturday, Feb 11, the tone sounded dispatching Scuba Rescue (based at Dutch Gap Station #14), River's Bend Station #18 (some Scuba team members there), Medic 18, Rescue 14, Engine 14 and TSO to the scene at 11800 Enon Church Road shortly after 0900 hours.
Oreo's (the cow) troubles began when several stray dogs decided she looked like a nice lunch and attacked her. The Angus took off running for her life, jumped a fence, ran through a swamp and got mired in a riverbank. The dogs took advantage of the situation and began tearing at the helpless cow. The owner and a family member chased the dogs off and attempted a rescue but were unable to do so. That's when Chesterfield's Scuba Rescue showed their skill.
The Scuba Team along with an Engine, the TSO, a pickup with a raft on a trailer and lots of manpower in the way of at least 20 firefighters headed down the deep sloping muddy backwoods fire roads to the edge of the swamp.
Firefighters trudged through the sucking, slippery mud and maneuvered through and over huge grass clumps, brush and weeds.
Taking two slings, firefighters lifted the 850 lb. cow from its watery trap and hand carried it across a brief area of the same treacherous swamp, cut through a fence and continued through another brief area of swamp. On higher ground at last, firefighters began giving aid to the exhausted, injured cow.
The cow was washed with warm water and treated for hypothermia. Firefighters then as one arm, lifted the cow into the back of the owner's pickup truck and hopped in to secure the cow.
The pickup then proceeded to ascend the steep roads with the firefighters riding in back comforting their patient.
Oreo was delivered to her barn to await her vet who was enroute. The cow needed numerous stitches from cuts and dog bites, but appeared to be doing well otherwise. After firefighters deposited her in her stall she was even standing up as they headed back to their apparatus to pack up.
The rescue took about two hours.
