“There she was. Stuck. Silent. Sinking.”
In the cracked and lifeless bed of Australia’s Werribee River, a silent struggle unfolded — one that could’ve gone unseen, were it not for the sharp eyes and soft hearts of a few determined rescuers.
Jumbuck, a lone sheep, was found trapped neck-deep in a drying pit of sludge, her wool weighed down, her body sinking, her voice silent. “How she came to be there, we’ll never know,” wrote Edgar’s Mission, the sanctuary that later became her refuge. “But there she was. Stuck. Silent. Sinking.”
With the help of emergency services, Edgar’s Mission prepared for a difficult extraction. The terrain was treacherous — thick mud like quicksand, ready to swallow anyone who lingered. Fortunately, first responders had already pulled Jumbuck from the worst of it. But now came the next challenge: how to get her out safely.
Rescuers improvised. With a discarded carpet fashioned into a makeshift sled, they delicately guided Jumbuck across the unstable ground. Each movement was deliberate. Each step was a promise that she wouldn’t be left behind.
Once on solid ground, Jumbuck collapsed into the arms of her rescuers, too weak to stand but finally safe. At the sanctuary, she received a warm bath, a dry bed, and something she hadn’t known for a long time — care.
Days passed, and Jumbuck’s breathing eased. Her eyes, once dull, began to reflect light again. With time, love, and patience, the sheep once sinking in silence was now stepping into a new chapter.
“This is not the end of Jumbuck’s story,” Edgar’s Mission shared. “It’s only the beginning — of something soft, beautiful and strong. And finally hers.”