Over the weekend, firefighters and a farmer collaborated to rescue a stranded bull from the River Tees, near the Blackwell area of Darlington.
Crews from three stations tirelessly worked for over two hours to free the trapped animal.
Jaycie Hall, crew manager at the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, reported that the bull was back on its feet after a brief rest.
On Sunday afternoon, the farmer joined forces with firefighters from Darlington, Bishop Auckland, and North Yorkshire to safely guide the animal back to dry land.
Initially, attempts to manually free the bull by tethering a rope around its neck and pulling it toward the riverbank proved unsuccessful. However, with the combined efforts of all crews involved, along with specialized rescue equipment and animal expertise, the bull was successfully extricated from danger.
Mr. Hall expressed satisfaction with the outcome, acknowledging the challenging conditions posed by the flooded river and muddy riverbanks.