The Fire Service in the West Flemish town of Diksmuide was called out to rescue a herd of cows from the River IJzer on Wednesday morning. They had gone for a paddle in the river but were unable get back out of the water under their steam. The fire fighters tried several methods to get the cows out of the river before eventually using a special excavator to dig a strip so that the cows were able to climb out of the water.
A passerby had seen the herd in the river on Wednesday morning. This stretch of the River IJzer is near the field that they graze on the Sint-Jacobsstraat in the village of Sint-Jacobs-Kapelle, just outside Diksmuide.
The fence of the meadow next to the river was broken and the cows took the chance to go for a paddle. When the Fire Service arrived, the animals were up to their bellies in the water.
Excavator
"It soon became clear that the cows would not come out of the water unaided. We called in reinforcements from the service's special animal rescue team," Kristof Louagie of Westhoek Fire Service told VRT News. "Using a motorboat, firefighters in wading suits tried to get closer to the animals. They also tried to hoist the animals onto dry land with a special hook arm and straps. But even this proved unsuccessful. Finally, a trench was dug on the bank using an excavator and with some encouragement the cows were able climb out of the river under their own steam."
Last year, some of the same herd had also ended up in the River IJzer. The farmer has been told that he must now repair the fence.