Roof-fall cow freed from car pit

The fire service was called at 9pm on Tuesday by a farmer who had discovered one of his valuable beef breeding cows stuck in the pit. It is not known how the young heifer scaled the roof of the garage, which is situated on the edge of the farmer’s pasture in Bere Alston in Devon,.

Officers from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spent over two hours lifting the cow. A vet gave the 18-month-old animal a check before it walked back to the pasture.

Paul Bray, community safety protection manager for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said: “To assist in the rescue of the cow, the inspection pit was flooded with water, to give buoyancy to the cow, and straw was packed around the feet of the cow to form a ramp.

“The ramp was further reinforced by placing a plank under the front of the cow.

“Lines were then attached to the cow and, when everything was in place, crews worked together to heave the cow out of the inspection pit.”